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Research backs 'use it or lose it'
Exercising those little grey cells on a regular basis may delay onset of dementia symptoms
Activities that make demands on mental agility, such as crosswords, sudoku and other puzzles, may help to stave off memory loss in people who develop dementia, according to a new US study.
Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York assessed 488 individuals aged between 75 and 85 every 12 to 18 months as part of the Bronx Aging Study. Other studies have suggested that education in early life may help to delay the onset of memory loss in people who are in the very early stages of dementia. The idea which the researchers wanted to test is that it is this 'cognitive reserve' that is responsible for staving off symptoms.
The individuals were asked how often they participated in a range of activities: reading, writing, crossword puzzles, board or card games, group discussions or playing music. Points were allocated on the basis of how often they followed any one of these activities on a daily or weekly basis, resulting in a 'cognitive activity scale' (CAS) for each person.
The results showed that those people who scored highly on the CAS experienced a slower loss of memory once they developed the early stages of dementia. Levels of early education seemed not to influence the rate of decline.
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: "This study shows that exercising the brain may delay the start of memory loss in people who develop dementia. This adds to the 'use it or lose it' hypothesis that we can reap the benefits of stimulating our minds regularly, perhaps by doing crosswords, playing chess or adding up the shopping before getting to the till.
"Dementia risk can be reduced by eating a healthy diet, whilst keeping an active body and mind. With more research we may be able to find ways of preventing dementia. 1.4 million people in the UK will develop dementia within a generation, so we need to invest now."
www.alzheimers-research.org.uk
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