Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Studies on How to Keep an Aging Mind Healthy are
Pointing to Three Key Steps
It’s not a stretch to think we may begin hiring brain
coaches in addition to physical fitness trainers
Dec. 2, 2008 - Think of it as a recipe for brain
boosting: Researchers are beginning to believe in a three-pronged
strategy for keeping a mental edge and retaining memory. It is the 1-2-3
of maintaining a health mind, according to a specialist in cognitive
aging.
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“We’re seeing baby boomers and even people in their
thirties worrying about brain fitness,” said Asenath LaRue, a senior
scientist at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public
Health (SMPH). LaRue.
“It’s not a stretch to think we may begin hiring
brain coaches in addition to physical fitness trainers,” notes LaRue, a
neuropsychologist at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, specializes in
research into cognitive aging.
While there aren’t many controlled clinical trials
on ways to keep your brain in shape, she says a variety of observational
studies point to three main preventive actions:
1.
Be Physically Active.
Regular
activity, not necessarily planned exercise, seems to relate
to brain fitness, according to LaRue. She says activities like
gardening, dancing and even cleaning, among others, could increase your
chances of maintaining brain health.
2.
Challenge Your Brain.
Calculate. Do word-search games and crossword
puzzles. Go to lectures, concerts and museums. LaRue said early
observational studies have indicated the benefits of mental gymnastics
and mind challenges.
3.
Stay Socially Active.
LaRue says it appears that people who are active in
broad social networks may hold up better cognitively than those who are
less socially active.
“While we don’t know at what point in an
individual’s life the three factors have maximum impact, the theory is
that the better developed your coping resources, the more likely you are
to withstand brain changes affecting memory and thinking,” says LaRue.
LaRue does emphasize that researchers don’t believe
brain workouts will stop or reverse dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
But they may forestall memory loss and confusion.
“It’s not unlike heart disease. Once you have it,
you can’t reverse it, but with a combination of lifestyle adjustments
and medications, many of the most challenging symptoms can be managed
effectively,” says LaRue.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates 5.2 million
Americans have memory and language problems caused by Alzheimer’s
disease. That number is expected to increase by more than 50 percent by
2030.
Dr. La Rue is a
neuropsychologist with interests in both normal cognitive aging and
dementia. She has been a faculty member of the Neuropsychiatric
Institute at UCLA and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of
New Mexico, and became a Senior Scientist at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s
Institute, Department of Medicine, UW-Madison in 2004. She has been a
clinician, researcher and educator in the fields of aging and dementia
for over 25 years and is also helping to care for a family member with
dementia.
