| Several large studies have found there is less risk for | | | | show that more intelligent and better educated |
| developing Alzheimer's disease in intellectually actively | | | | people use their brains differently than those without |
| people compared with their mentally inactive peers. | | | | these benefits, and this may help explain why |
| And the mental activity can take many forms, such | | | | keeping the mind active helps protect against the |
| as reading, working jigsaw puzzles, woodworking, | | | | onset of Alzheimer's disease. |
| printing, knitting and playing board games. Some | | | | Mental calisthenics may not only keep our brain ells |
| studies have even found that people with mentally | | | | healthy, but they may also help them grow. New |
| demanding jobs, professionals, managers, etc | | | | research suggests that the brain can actually rewire |
| experience less memory decline as they age when | | | | itself and grow new cells, a process known as |
| compared with their counterparts who have less | | | | neurogenesis, believed impossible until the last few |
| demanding jobs. | | | | decades. Research by the Princeton University has |
| In a study with 500 elderly, they were asked how | | | | shown that laboratory animals continue to produce |
| often they participated in leisure activities like dancing, | | | | new brain cells in the hippocampus, that sea horse |
| playing chess, card games or doing crossword | | | | shaped formation beneath the temple. Studies have |
| puzzles. Over the years, the scientists kept records | | | | shown that such neurogenesis can occur in humans |
| of those who developed mild memory loss or | | | | as well. Neurogenesis may be an important aspect of |
| full-blown dementia. They found that the people who | | | | memory and learning. In animal studies, they have |
| were the most active mentally had a 63 percent | | | | found that enriched environments are associated with |
| lower risk of getting dementia compared with those | | | | greater numbers of synapses or cell communication |
| who rarely played board games, read, or did similar | | | | links in the brains memory centers. And, when running |
| activities. The people who played the most had the | | | | through their mazes and completing other memory |
| most protection, doing crossword puzzles four days | | | | tests, the stimulated animals appear more intelligent. |
| each week translated into 47 percent lower risk of | | | | These kinds of studies have led many researchers to |
| dementia compared with once a week puzzle solvers. | | | | believe that routine mental exercise stimulates |
| For each day of the week that people exercised | | | | existing connections between neurons and leads to |
| their minds, the researchers found nearly a 10 | | | | new neuronal connections in the brain. This in turn will |
| percent reduction in the risk for dementia. | | | | improve memory and brain performance. |
| Other studies indicate that mental activity earlier in | | | | Even in the face of this and other compelling |
| life is beneficial as well. The rate for developing | | | | evidence for the protective benefits of mental |
| Alzheimer's disease was three times lower in people | | | | exercise, memory training and memorization |
| who had been intellectually active during their forties | | | | techniques, there are still skeptics who believe that |
| and fifties compared with those who had not. Even | | | | mental activity has little or no effect on the rate at |
| mental activity as early as one's twenties will mean | | | | which our brains age. However, even without |
| better cognitive function late in life. This means that | | | | absolute proof of cause and effect, the risks of |
| college graduates have a lower risk for developing | | | | staying mentally active are minimal, and the potential |
| Alzheimer's disease than those who never get | | | | gains great. In the words, remaining mentally active |
| beyond a high school education. | | | | and practicing mental exercises can't hurt. It can also |
| Experts believe that one reason solving puzzles and | | | | enrich our lives. |
| other forms of mental stimulation help lower the risk | | | | Studies on mental exercises have shown that the |
| for dementia is that people develop a "cognitive | | | | tasks must involve an element of effort. They can |
| reserve" that allows them to tolerate more damage | | | | be diverse and can include any of a number of |
| from Alzheimer's and other brain diseases. A recent | | | | activities reading, working jigsaw puzzles, |
| study suggests that it's not how much brain you | | | | woodworking, painting, knitting, or playing board |
| have, but how you use it that makes the difference. | | | | games. You may prefer learning a language or reading |
| The investigators tested 19 people with a range of | | | | a challenging novel or biography or learning a |
| IQs from below to above average. Participants | | | | memorization technique as memory training Evidence |
| performed memory tasks while the investigators | | | | indicates that the "fun factor" keeps us coming back |
| measured their brain activity patterns during | | | | for more, and that is what you want - to sustain the |
| functional MRI scans. | | | | activity over time. Epidemiological studies suggest |
| The scans showed more activity in the frontal lobes | | | | that we need to develop a regular habit of mental |
| of people with higher intelligence. These same | | | | calisthenics, and that years of activity may be |
| investigators also have demonstrated the | | | | needed to obtain optimum effect. |
| brain-protective effects of education. These findings | | | | |