Reading and crossword puzzles “shield” the memory

Reading and crossword puzzles early in life can help preserve memory until old age – and the more one engages in them, the better, according to a new study.

As he showed, systemic activities that stimulate the brain are associated with a slower rate of degeneration of mental functions.

Previous studies have shown that older people who keep their brains active have a reduced risk of developing dementia.

However, the present study showed that memory is especially beneficial when one begins to deal with them on a daily basis, much earlier in life.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, was conducted on 294 volunteers aged 55 and over when they signed up.

The researchers asked them to complete special questionnaires to engage in intellectual activities (eg reading, crossword puzzles, puzzles, memory games) in their childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

In addition, they underwent examinations every six years until their deaths, at an average age of 89 years. After death, they examined their brains for signs of dementia.

They found that those who engaged in spiritual activities on a daily basis throughout their lives had a rate of memory degeneration 32% slower than those who moderately engaged in them and 48% slower than those who read or dissolved crossword puzzles sparsely and where.

Still, even when they developed dementia, its progression rate was reduced by 15% compared to the rest.

“Our findings suggest that regular exercise of the brain from the earliest decades of life is very important for its health in old age,” said lead researcher Dr. Robert S. Wilson, a neuropsychologist at the Alzheimer’s University of Alzheimer’s. in Chicago.

“Therefore, it is good to try to engage in daily activities that are demanding to our brain,” he added.

Source: The New gr Health Action + Life

Posted: July 5, 2013

Link: here