Older folks — even those with mild cognitive impairment — can boost their brain function by engaging in greater levels of certain leisure activities that stimulate their minds, according to recent research by a team from three U.S. universities.
Adults age 50 and older who do such activities most often have better memory, attention and processing speed than those who do them least often, the study found.
Researchers also found that participants who have a mid-level of engagement with such activities outperform those who engage in such activities least often.
The researchers mentioned at least three types of activities that can help boost the brain:
- Reading
- Playing games such as word games
- Participating in hobbies
For the study, researchers at three schools — the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, the University of Southern Mississippi and Indiana University — looked at data from more than 5,900 people who were at least 50 in 2012 and who had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. They were followed for eight years.
The researchers then focused on answers to seven survey questions about how often study participants engaged in brain-stimulating leisure activities. The study findings were published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement.
In a summary of the study findings, Junhyoung “Paul” Kim, an associate professor of health behavior at Texas A&M, says:
“In short, the high-level participation group consistently exhibited higher cognitive function levels during the study period and maintained a similar level of cognitive functions compared to the other groups.”
The researchers note that about 10% of those who are diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop some form of dementia every year. Around 6 million people in the U.S. have dementia, and that number is expected to grow to about 14 million by 2060.
Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, is worse than the normal age-related decline in memory and thinking, but it’s less serious than dementia.
Kim and his fellow researchers recommend that older people with mild cognitive impairment engage in brain-stimulating leisure activities at least three or four times per week.
For more about what you can do to lower your risk of dementia, check out “This Vaccine Is Now Tied to a 17% Lower Dementia Risk” and “This Cooking Oil May Lower Your Risk of Deadly Dementia.”
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