Does exercising your brain prevent memory loss?

February 20, 7:53 PMHealth ExaminerAngela Spears

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Dr. Yonas Geda author of study  

New information from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging indicates that participating in certain mental activities; reading books, playing games, participating in computer activities and crafting may delay or prevent memory loss or lead to a 30 to 50 % decrease in the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI).  MCI is a transitional state between normal aging and the earliest features of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009.

Individuals with MCI can function reasonably well in everyday activities, but often have difficulty remembering details of conversations, events and upcoming appointments. Most (but not all) patients with MCI develop a progressive decline in their thinking abilities over time. Alzheimer's disease is usually the underlying cause.

Dr. Yonas Geda, a Mayo Clinic neuropsychiatrist and author of this study along with his team of researchers identified more than 1,300 people between the ages of 70 and 89.  Of those, 197 individuals had mild cognitive impairment and 1,124 were cognitively normal.  Both groups answered questions about their activities within the past year and when they were between 50 and 65 years old.

The study found that people who watched television for less than seven hours a day in later years were 50% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who watched more than seven hours of television per day. Additionally, individuals who participated in social activities and read magazines during middle age were about 40% less likely to develop memory loss than those who did not participate in those activities.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Robert H. and Clarice Smith and Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.