Reading and Puzzles Keep Your Mind Active
While there is still no definitive cure for or total prevention of Alzheimer's disease, many scientists are coming to the conclusion that there may be some things we can do to perhaps help postpone the onset of severe dementia-related illness.
The results reported by US News HealthDay Reporter Steven Reinberg are based on a study conducted by Rush University Medical Center, Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai staff. They concluded that, "An active mind in old age may delay Alzheimer's disease by up to five years."
The study was conducted over a seven year period and involved 2000 participants with an average age of 80 and no signs of dementia when the study began. The participants' frequency of game play like checkers, board games, cards and puzzles were factored in along with their levels of cognitive activity through various life stages from childhood through middle age. The correlation of age at which participants developed Alzheimer's dementia to levels of mental activity practiced led researchers to assert that while there are no effective treatments for Alzheimer's, the evidence suggests "that lifestyle changes are one way to help ward off dementia."
Conclusion: in addition to an apple a day, a new "cognitive activity prescription" may just be what the doctor orders for a healthy brain. So go ahead and make engaging in brain-healthy fun and games part of your regular routines.
Visit Puzzlicious.com to find your next puzzle or board game. For more details regarding the study, you can find the complete US News article here.
Sources: U.S. News.com - Health News, Steven Reinberg, Health Day Reporter