This is not actually part of the assignment but I wanted to share...
I found it quite interesting!!!
http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/preventing-dementia-brain-exercises
I tried to post the information but while it shows in my preview, it will not post to the blog.
It does appear to show up as a comment!!!!
Enjoy!!!
I tried to post the information but while it shows in my preview, it will not post to the blog.
It does appear to show up as a comment!!!!
Enjoy!!!
The study involved 2,802 adults aged 65 and older. Participants attended up to 10 brain-training sessions over a five- to six-week period. The sessions included training in strategies for:
ReplyDeletememory
reasoning
speed of processing information
People who took the training showed improvements in those areas that lasted for at least five years. Even better? This translated into improvements in their everyday lives, such as the ability to manage money and do housework.
But what about prevention of Alzheimer's and other dementias? Does brain training help? A study published in 2010 looked at this very question.
It found that staying mentally active delayed cognitive (thinking) decline. After onset of Alzheimer's, however, mental decline sped up in people who were mentally active. How could this be true? It's possible that being cognitively active initially bolstered the brain, so symptoms didn't show up until later in the disease process after it reached a kind of tipping point.
The silver lining here? People who are mentally active may spend a shorter part of their lives in a state of decline, even if they develop Alzheimer's.
How does brain activity help?
Animal studies have shown that mental stimulation may help protect the brain by:
Decreasing the hallmarks of Alzheimer's, such as increases in certain proteins (plaques and tangles).
Supporting new nerve cell growth.
Prompting communication between nerve cells.
By keeping your brain active with brain exercises or other engagement, you may help build up a reserve of brain cells and connections. You might even grow new brain cells. This is one explanation for the link between Alzheimer's and lower levels of education. Experts think that extra stimulation from education may protect the brain by strengthening brain cell connections.
Of course, neither education nor brain exercises provide an insurance policy against Alzheimer's. But they may help delay the onset of symptoms, prolonging a higher quality of life. And that could be worth a whole lot.