How best to slow down DEMENTIA?


A new report from the Global Council on Brain Health and AARP offers some the most encouraging evidence yet that keeping your mind engaged in cognitively stimulating activities can reduce the risk of dementia.

 

However, the report includes an important caveat. Some activities are better than others -- and so-called brain games like Sudoku and crossword puzzles don't make the grade.

 

"Evidence today regarding the benefits of what most people consider 'brain games' is weak to non-existent," the report cautions. ". . . If people play a 'brain game,' they may get better at that game, but improvements in game performance have not yet been shown to convincingly result in improvements in people's daily cognitive abilities."

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So what should you do instead? The key is to find activities that are novel, challenging and enjoyable, and throw yourself into them.

 

Any activity that meets these criteria is good, and trying a variety of activities is even better. But if you're looking for inspiration, the report offers plenty of specific suggestions. Here's a sampling:

 

  • Practice tai-chi.

  • Take photography classes.

  • Make a quilt.

  • Explore your genealogy.

  • Teach yourself to juggle.

  • Learn to cook new foods.

  • Plant a garden.

  • Enroll in an adult education course.

  • Take music lessons.

  • Learn new technologies on your computer.

 

Choose activities like these, and you'll be getting powerful protection against the threat of dementia. "Engaging in cognitively stimulating activities can help you avoid cognitive decline, delay it, and deal better with it should you eventually experience it," the report says.

That conclusion results from a meeting back in March that brought more than 20 of the world's leading brain health experts together in Washington, D.C., to examine the best available evidence about the benefits of cognitive stimulation for adults ages 50 and older. Their report, titled "Engage Your Brain: GCBH Recommendations on Cognitively Stimulating Activities," is available on the website of the Global Council on Brain Health.

 

If you're ready to defend your brain, here are 7 key takeaways from the report:

1. Don't be too eager to retire.

Work is one of the best forms of cognitively stimulating activity, and numerous studies have shown cognitive abilities can decline rapidly in the first year or two of retirement.

As Lock explains it: "We threw out the question, 'What's the best thing you can do?' Someone said, "Never quit working.' With further conversation, there was a minority of people who said, 'It really depends on the nature of your work.' If you enjoy your work and it's stimulating, by all means, work forever. For folks whose work is grinding them into the ground and isn't cognitively stimulating, that's not a good recommendation."

 

If you do retire, you can still consider part-time work doing something you find mentally stimulating, or look for other outlets to replace the cognitive and social stimulation you got from your job.

 

2. Volunteer

If you want proof that volunteer work can not only be richly rewarding, but also protect against cognitive decline, look no further than the Experience Corps program run by the AARP Foundation. The program has recruited nearly 2,000 adults over the age of 50 and trained them to serve as literacy tutors for more than 30,000 at-risk students in elementary schools across the country.

 

A study looking at more than 100 older adults who served as Experience Corps volunteers in Baltimore schools for 15 hours a week found that this volunteer activity "halted, and in men, reversed declines in brain volume in regions vulnerable to dementia." Of course, students benefit too. Research has shown a 60 percent increase in literacy skills and higher test scores among students tutored by Experience Corps volunteers.

Lock says: "There's a double benefit to having (social interaction) and to having some kind of purpose to exist. Volunteering usually involves other people and it's fulfilling. There's a good feeling about doing something positive for others. The cycle of that encourages you to do more. These things reinforce each other. So the benefit of volunteering is something that our experts spoke about quite a bit.''

 

3. Learn a new language

The benefits of bilingualism have been heavily studied, and research suggest learning and speaking a second language increases gray matter in the brain and benefits cognition. When you speak more than one language, your brain has to choose between them and that can enhance cognitive function.

 

A study looking at more than 100 older adults who served as Experience Corps volunteers in Baltimore schools for 15 hours a week found that this volunteer activity "halted, and in men, reversed declines in brain volume in regions vulnerable to dementia." Of course, students benefit too. Research has shown a 60 percent increase in literacy skills and higher test scores among students tutored by Experience Corps volunteers.

Lock says: "There's a double benefit to having (social interaction) and to having some kind of purpose to exist. Volunteering usually involves other people and it's fulfilling. There's a good feeling about doing something positive for others. The cycle of that encourages you to do more. These things reinforce each other. So the benefit of volunteering is something that our experts spoke about quite a bit.''

 4. Get physical

Physical activity is a proven way to protect against cognitive decline, but many adults who try an exercise program end up quitting. If plodding away on a treadmill sounds deadly dull to you, find a way to move your body that's fun and mentally stimulating.

"Physical activity has been shown to improve cognition in adults, so choosing activities such as dancing or tennis that involve both mental engagement and physical exercise is a wise use of your time," the report says.

 

5. Stay social

Whatever activity you choose, doing it with others seems to magnify the benefit.

"Pick a skill or hobby that you want to learn and find a mentor, friend, or companion to help you do it," the report says. "Social aspects of activities that challenge your brain can help inspire you to continue your efforts. If being with other people motivates you as it does for many people, join a group activity."

 

For instance, reading a good book can be cognitively beneficial. But joining a book club, and discussing that book with other people over a cup of coffee can be even better for your mind.

"That's a great example," Lock says. "Finding activities that involve other people has its own quality about it, and it shows benefit."

 

6. Do what you enjoy and really dive into it

When it comes to brain health, drudgery is not a winning strategy. The report urges people to get immerse in activities they find enjoyable, rather than forcing themselves to do something because they've heard it's "good for you."

"You've got to keep at it," Lock says. "If you enjoy an activity, you're more likely to stick to it and go deeper into whatever area you're interested in. The quality and depth are more important than the number of activities. The quality is what's important, and the novelty and constantly challenging yourself."

 

7. The earlier the better, but it's never too late to start

Cognitively stimulating activities are thought to enhance "cognitive reserve," a term that refers to the resilience of the brain to withstand the effects of aging or disease. Research suggest the greater our cognitive reserve, the less likely we are to develop Alzheimer's or the less severe the symptoms are likely to be if we do get dementia.

"Don't wait until later life to try to maintain your brain health," the report urges. "Start today; the younger you start challenging yourself with cognitively stimulating activities, the better your brain function will be as you age."

But no matter what your age, as long as you begin now, you still can enjoy the benefits.

"That's the great news," Lock says. "By engaging in these activities now, you can learn. Even in your sixties or seventies or eighties, you can make a difference in your cognitive health."

 

Tony Dearing may be reached at tdearing@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyDearing. Find NJ.com on Facebook.