By Robert Preidt, HealthDay News
Published Week of July 1 - July 7

(HealthDay News) -- Doing plenty of mentally-stimulating activities -- such as playing chess, reading a newspaper, or attending a play -- in old age helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of more than 700 elderly Americans.

The Chicago residents, who averaged 80 years of age at the start of the study, underwent annual cognitive testing for up to five years. During the study, 90 people developed Alzheimer's disease, and 102 died.

However, the Rush University Medical Center researchers found that those who were "cognitively active" were 2.6 times less likely than those who got minimal mental stimulation to develop Alzheimer's disease.

The study, published June 27 in the journal Neurology, also found that frequent mental stimulation was associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment -- a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia -- and less rapid decline in cognitive function.

The researchers said their findings may help in the development of strategies to prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease.

"The more you do mentally stimulating activities -- such as crossword puzzles or playing chess -- the better it is," said Dr. Joe Verghese, an assistant professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

Verghese recently co-authored a study that found that seniors who engage in a wide variety of mental pursuits while at leisure -- such as playing a musical instrument, reading and playing cards or board-games -- seem to dramatically lower their risk for developing dementia.

But he stressed that it's never too early to incorporate mental exercise into the daily planner. In fact, it's a habit that should be encouraged starting in childhood, experts say.

"If you haven't built a lifestyle that includes mentally stimulating activities in your 50s as a habit or a lifestyle, it's unlikely you will do so in your 60s," Verghese said.

The list of practical mind-probing options is long, including reading newspapers, listening to music, writing letters and taking community college or university classes. Even dancing fits the bill, Verghese said.

"Anything that lifts your mental gears a gear higher, and that includes physical activity," he noted.

Dr. Joseph T. Coyle, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, agrees that regular mental and physical activity is -- at minimum -- a benign means to improve the chances of staying healthier longer.

"Crossword puzzles are not bad for you, and they may actually help prevent the onset of dementia," he said. "So I would say get regular exercise -- like walking three or four times a week -- and find a hobby that you enjoy that's intellectually challenging."

However, he cautioned that a well-exercised brain is no hard-and-fast guarantee of longevity or a better quality of life.

"It's clear that there are Harvard professors that develop Alzheimer's disease, and there are people with third-grade educations that go on to live to 100," said Coyle. "So, on an individual basis, it's hard to predict. Nothing is absolutely protective."

Dr. Lawrence Whalley is the author of The Aging Brain, and a psychiatrist and professor of mental health with the School of Medicine at Scotland's University of Aberdeen. He agrees that brain health and dementia prevention are complex issues, and many inter-related lifestyle factors are at play.

"Being socially active, being an intellectually engaged individual, having recreational time, enjoying a good diet, lacking stress -- these are all things that tend to help in avoiding dementia," he said.

"Basically, whatever's good for your heart is good for your head," Whalley added. "Mortality of vascular disease in the United States was halved between 1965 and 1995, and this is one of the great public-health successes of the 20th century. And what people are looking for in dementia prevention is the same, because the factors that everyone knows predispose to heart disease also predispose to dementia.

"So, not smoking and eating a diet that's balanced and rich in antioxidants and doesn't lead to obesity works very well. And completing mentally challenging tasks should also help, so long as it's effortful, so long as you actually have to try better to complete the task."

More information

SOURCES:
American Academy of Neurology, news release, June 27, 2007;
Joe Verghese, M.D., assistant professor of neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City;
Joseph T. Coyle, M.D, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, Boston;
Lawrence Whalley, M.D., psychiatrist and professor of mental health, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Scotland

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