How to reduce the risk of dementia
Named classes that will help protect the brain from age-related disorders
Yulia Vorobyova, Vesti
Many older people face mild cognitive disorders. These disorders of memory and thinking processes are noticeable, but have little effect on a person's daily activities. Because of this, many perceive them as the norm.
Let us explain that with senile dementia, a person experiences problems with performing even the simplest tasks (bathing, eating, and so on). In this case, we are talking about difficulties with performing more complex tasks, for example, perception and memorization of information.
However, mild cognitive impairment is a kind of transitional stage between normal aging and senile dementia, and this condition is potentially dangerous, since the decline in mental abilities can progress over time.
Unfortunately, there are no drugs for the effective treatment of mild cognitive impairment, dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, researchers are studying lifestyle-related factors that can delay brain aging.
In the course of the new work, which is reported in the press release of the American Academy of Neurology (Can computer use, crafts and games slow or prevent age-related memory loss?), scientists decided to find out whether classes that stimulate mental activity have such a positive effect.
A scientific article based on the results of this work (Krell-Roesch et al., Quantity and quality of mental activities and the risk of incident mild cognitive impairment) is presented in the journal Neurology.
Two thousand people took part in the study, the average age of which was 78 years. At the beginning of the study, the volunteers had no mild cognitive impairment.
Participants filled out questionnaires in which they reported how often they engaged in stimulating activities (reading books, using a computer, participating in social events, games, arts and crafts) at the age of 50 to 65 years, as well as at the age of 66 years.
Then, every 15 months, the volunteers underwent tests to assess cognitive abilities (thinking and memory). On average, the observations lasted five years. During this period, 532 participants developed mild cognitive impairment.
Comparing the data obtained, experts concluded that using a computer in adulthood reduces the risk of mild cognitive disorders by 48%, and in old age – by 30%. And on average, people who used a computer both in adulthood and later in life, the risk of thinking and memory disorders decreased by 37%.
Games and participation in social events (going to the cinema, walking with friends, playing cards, solving crosswords) both in the "pre-retirement" and in old age, the probability of mild mental disorders was reduced by 20%.
Meanwhile, arts and crafts reduced the risk of age-related disorders by 42%, but only in old age.
Graph from an article in Neurology – VM.
Another important conclusion of scientists is that the more different kinds of activities that stimulate mental activity are present in people's lives, the better for their brain.
Those who reported two types of activities from the proposed list were 28% less likely to encounter cognitive problems than those who did not do anything similar at all. These indicators were even higher in people who reported three, four and five types of stimulating activities: risk reduction was 45%, 56% and 43%, respectively.
Nevertheless, the authors emphasize that this work is observational in nature and, although the relationships have been identified very clearly, further research will be required to fully interpret the results.
In addition, in order to confirm the data obtained, longer observations of people are needed, because in this case, participants were asked to recall what they were doing about ten years before the study began, and such memories may not be completely accurate.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru