Mentally stimulating activities related to reducing the risk or delay of age-related memory loss

A new study has shown that mentally stimulating activities such as computer use, games, creation and participation in social activities are linked to a lower risk or delayed memory loss due to lack of memory. age called mild cognitive impairment, and that the timing and number of activities may also play a role. The study is published in the online edition of July 10, 2019 Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

A mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common medical problem with aging. Although it is linked to problems of thinking ability and memory, it is not the same thing as dementia. People with MCI have less severe symptoms. They may have difficulty performing complex tasks or have difficulty understanding the information they have read, while people with dementia have difficulty with daily tasks such as dressing, washing and eat independently. However, there is strong evidence that MCI can be a precursor to dementia.

At the present time, no drug effectively treats mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease. As a result, there is increasing interest in lifestyle factors that may contribute to slower brain aging, which would likely contribute to thinking and memory – inexpensive and accessible to all. Our study looked closely at the frequency with which people participated in mentally stimulating activities in the middle ages or later, in order to determine when such activities can be very beneficial to the brain. "

Study author Yonas E. Geda, MD, MSc, Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and member of the American Academy of Neurology

For the study, researchers identified 2,000 people aged 78 years on average, who did not have mild cognitive impairment. At the beginning of the study, participants completed a questionnaire on the frequency with which they participated in five types of mentally stimulating activities during middle age, defined as ages 50 to 65 years and at a later age, at the age of 66. Participants then had thought and memory tests every 15 months and were followed for an average of five years. During the study, 532 participants developed mild cognitive impairment.

The researchers found that the use of a computer at the average age was badociated with a slight cognitive impairment risk reduced by 48%. In total, 15 out of 532 people with mild cognitive impairment, 2%, used a computer at the average age, compared to 77 out of 1,468 people with no mild cognitive impairment, or 5%. The use of a computer at an older age was badociated with a reduced risk of 30%, while the use of a computer at the middle age and at an older age was badociated with a 37% reduced risk of developing memory and thinking problems.

S engaging in social activities, such as going to the movies or going out with friends, or playing games, such as crosswords or card games, at the average age or later was badociated with a 20% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.

Craft activities were badociated with a 42% reduced risk, but only later.

The more people engaged in later activities, the less likely they were to develop mild cognitive impairment. Those who engaged in two activities were 28% less likely to develop memory and thinking problems than those who did not participate in any activity, while those who participated in three activities were 45% less likely, those in four activities , 56% less and those with five activities were 43% less likely.

"Our study was observational, so it is important to note that while we have found links between a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and various mental stimulant activities, it is possible that instead of reducing activities the risk of a person, cognitive impairment may not be able to participate in these activities as often, "said Geda. "More research is needed to deepen our discoveries."

One of the strengths of the study was the large number of participants; However, participants were asked to remember how often they had participated in mentally stimulating activities at an average age, up to two decades before the start of the study, and their memories did not occur. were perhaps not entirely accurate.