Memory loss can be caused by a variety of things. The Archives of Neurology published a study in January 2012, which confirms that people who participated in mentally stimulating activities like reading, writing and playing challenging games starting in childhood and continued through adulthood had healthier brains than those who did not.
One of the measures of Alzheimer’s disease is the formation of beta-amyloid deposits, which can be seen on Positive Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. The researchers studied 65 healthy, cognitively normal elderly volunteers, 10 people with Alzheimer’s and 11 young adults. All were given PET scans to identify any beta-amyloid deposits. All were questioned about how mentally stimulating their lifestyle was from age 6 until present.
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The PET scans of the elderly people who had a history of being mentally active throughout their lives looked similar to the PET scans of the young people in the study. The PET scans of the elderly people who were less cognitively active looked more like the people with Alzheimer’s.
Many have suspected that challenging the brain with complex cognitive activities starting in childhood helps to prevent dementia later in life. This study agrees.
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a clinical trial that found seniors could improve their cognitive function with virtual reality – enhanced exercise. Exercise games like Wii Fit and PlayStation engaged the seniors more than traditional exercise. The researchers had them watch a video screen that let them race against a ghost rider on the screen while they peddled. They called it “cybercycling.”
Seniors who cybercycled were compared to the ones who just rode a stationary bike. The cybercyclers showed the most cognitive improvement. They gave more effort during the exercise and scored higher on executive function tests.
It is no surprise that these seniors could improve their cognitive function because in June 2011 the journal Brain reported that even in the presence of mild cognitive impairment, the brains of participants in the study remained highly plastic (able to improve) and training resulted in significant neural changes that were measurable in brain imaging.
The saying “use it or lose it” certainly applies to the brain. If there is a history of surgery, use of antibiotics, prednisone, anti-depressants or other medicines, these could cause cognitive decline due to the side effects of these drugs. Exercise won’t help this. If you are concerned that you or someone you know is having this struggle please email me on the contact form on the side or call my office and I’m happy to talk with you about your concerns.
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