Avert Dementia by Keeping Your Brain Active

Experts from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Bronx, NY, have recently published a new research paper, which shows that people could potentially avoid the risk of developing dementia later on in life if they keep their brain active throughout the day. Activities such as reading, writing, solving crosswords, playing cards or board games are all ways to do this, and they ensure that the wiring in the brain does not degenerate over time. Dementia makes the brain increasingly imprecise in memory recollection and overall capabilities, according to health experts.

In addition to dreadful conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, dementia can also cause strokes and infections to the brain, as well as a significantly decreased overall quality of life, LiveScience reports. While there are no clear causes determined for dementia at this point, experts believe that a mix of genetic predispositions and lifestyle factors may work together to lead to the onset of the neurodegenerative condition.

In the new study, some 488 people were surveyed. The participants, which were aged between 75 and 85, did not show signs of dementia at the beginning of the study. They were asked to mention the activities that they conducted daily that involved exercising their brains, such as reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, having group discussions, playing music, and other such things. During the five years of the investigation, about 101 members of the study group developed dementia or related conditions.

According to the scientists, the people who engaged in brain-stimulating activities were less likely to develop neurodegenerative disorders, and, even if they eventually did, they showed a large delay as opposed to those in the control group, which engaged in no particular activities aimed at keeping their brains active. “The point of accelerated decline was delayed by 1.29 years for the person who participated in 11 activities per week compared to the person who participated in only four activities per week,” AECM expert Charles B. Hall, who has also been the co-author of the new study, says.