Reading and crosswords help ward off dementia

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24 Medica

Written by Jessica Smith

Most of us worry about losing our memorymentia act and our general mental sharpness as we age – but there’s plenty we can be doing right now to slow the decline.
Researchers have found that social activities that engage the brain – such as reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing card and board games, and having group discussions – all help to keep us sharp.

We can even start these activities late in life, and still delay the onset of memory loss and dementia, as researchers discovered when they tested a group of 488 people aged between 75 and 85 years, who were still mentally sharp.

During the five years of the study, 101 of the group developed dementia – but researchers discovered that those who engaged their brain with one or more of the social activities were able to delay the time their mental functions began to deteriorate.

Of those who developed dementia, most took..... read more about Reading and crosswords help ward off dementia

Greater Language Skills in 20s May Guard Against Alzheimer's

US News and World Report

Small study found women who wrote more articulate essays were protected from symptoms

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women with greater language abilities in early adulthood were less likely to have Alzheimer's disease later in life, even when autopsies revealed the clear brain changes that are hallmarks of the disease.

Also, the brains of women without symptoms of Alzheimer's housed bigger neurons, according to a study appearing in the July 9 online edition of Neurology.

"We noticed that the neurons in this group of people are larger and we also know that the same group of people we call asymptomatic also had higher language skills during their 20s," said study author Dr. Diego Iacono, a research fellow in neuropathology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

It's possible that the larger neurons compensated for the brain plaques and tangles that are usually indicative of Alzheimer's, the authors stated.

The findings could also mean that language abilities in the early 20s can predict the risk of developing dementia several decades later.

A previous study, this one in men, also found larger neurons in individuals who had plaques and tangles but no clinical evidence of Alzheimer's.

For the current study, researchers examined the brains of 38 deceased Catholic nuns, part of the ongoing Nun Study.

Women were divided into two groups: those with symptoms of memory loss along with plaques and tangles and those with no memory loss whether or not they had plaques or tangles.

Essays written by the women when they first entered the convent in their late teens or early 20s were analyzed for richness of language skills, including how many ideas were expressed per 10 words, number of verbs and adjectives in one sentence and more.

Women without memory problems scored......read all of Greater Language Skills in 20s May Guard Against Alzheimer's

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Brain-aging gene identified, opening door for new treatment

McKnight's
Long Term Care

Scientists at the Université de Montréal have discovered a gene that is responsible for the aging of neurons in the brain and central nervous system. This finding could lead to new therapies for Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's.

The gene, called Bmi1, prevents the activation of certain other brain functions, and also prevents the accumulation of free-radicals in the brain, which can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, according to research authors. Without the gene, the aging process of the brain and the eye was dramatically accelerated in laboratory mice, the research shows.

The primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease is age, researchers say. By controlling this gene, they hope to be able to reduce pathological aging of the brain and central nervous system, thus preventing the development of those degenerative diseases. The study appears in......read the whole article

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