A new study suggests that constantly engaging the brain with stimulating activities like crossword puzzles, reading and playing Sudoku might cut the risk of developing dementia as a senior.
Prashanthi Vemuri, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic and Foundation in Rochester, Minn., and her colleagues looked at about 2,000 men and women aged between 70 and 89. The participants underwent mental assessments to measure their thinking and memory.
Results of the assessment revealed that more than 85 percent of the participants' mental abilities fell in the "normal" category while the rest showed "mild cognitive impairment." The researchers then looked at past educational achievements and work histories of the participants.
Subjects filled out questionnaires designed to find out more about their brain stimulating activities for the past 12 months and during middle age, or ages 50 to 65. The researchers also examined the participants for the presence of the APOE gene, which scientists believe to be a significant contributing factor toward an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
After careful analysis of all the data, the researchers found that those who had the APOE gene, but performed brain stimulating activities, were able to delay the development of dementia by up to nine years compared to those who reported low-level brain exercises.
The results remained constant even after factoring in the educational and work histories of the participants. Those who had lower educational levels were able to reduce the risk of dementia by three years, as long as they kept their brains stimulated during middle age. This contradicted earlier studies stating that people with less educational experience had higher chances of developing dementia.
"This is very encouraging news, because even if you don't have a lot of education, or get exposure to a lot of intellectual stimulation during non-leisure activity, intellectual leisure activity later in life can really help," Prof. Vemuri told Healthday News.
Further details of the study were published in the June 23 issue of JAMA Neurology.
