Simple Brain Training Exercise Cuts Dementia Risk For 20 Years, Study Finds

Adults aged 65 and older who completed five to six weeks of cognitive speed training, known as speed of processing training, are less likely to develop dementia over 20 years, according to a Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions study. In this NIH-funded study, researchers examined 2,802 adults from 1998–99 and compared three types of cognitive training including memory, reasoning, and speed of processing. Participants in the training groups completed up to 10 sessions lasting 60 to 75 minutes over five to six weeks. About half also received up to four additional booster sessions at 11 and 35 months after the initial training.After 20 years, 40 percent of participants in the speed training group who received boosters were diagnosed with dementia, compared to 49 percent in the control group. This represents a 25 percent lower risk and was the only intervention that showed a statistically meaningful difference.Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., the corresponding study author and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Seeing that boosted speed training was linked to lower dementia risk two decades later is remarkable because it suggests that a fairly modest nonpharmacological intervention can have long-term effects. "Even small delays in the onset of dementia may have a large impact on public health and help reduce rising health care costs."Albert explained that additional studies are needed to understand underlying mechanisms that may help explain these associations and to understand why the reasoning and memory interventions didn’t have the same 20-year associationsREAD MORE: High Brain Age May Increase Dementia Risk, Study ShowsWhat Is Dementia?Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a significant decline in mental function that is serious enough to affect everyday life. It commonly impacts memory, thinking, and reasoning skills.Dementia itself is not a single disease but a collection of symptoms caused by underlying conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.Common signs include memory problems, confusion, difficulty finding words, changes in mood or behaviour and trouble completing familiar tasks.These symptoms usually worsen over time and are not considered a normal part of ageing. Although there is no cure, treatment options can help manage symptoms, and early diagnosis plays an important role in care planning.Alzheimer’s Disease: The Leading Cause of DementiaAlzheimer's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia and mostly affects adults over the age of 65.About 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above are estimated to be living with Alzheimer's disease. Over seven million people in the US 65 and older live with the condition and over 100,00 die from it annually.Alzheimer's disease is believed to be caused by the development of toxic amyloid and beta proteins in the brain, which can accumulate in the brain and damage cells responsible for memory.Amyloid protein molecules stick together in brain cells, forming clumps called plaques. At the same time, tau proteins twist together in fiber-like strands called tangles. The plaques and tangles block the brain's neurons from sending electrical and chemical signals back and forth.Over time, this disruption causes permanent damage in the brain that leads to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, causing patients to lose their ability to speak, care for themselves or even respond to the world around them.While there is no clear cause of Alzheimer's disease, experts believe it can develop due to genetic mutations and lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and social isolation.Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, Alzheimer's disease leads to serious memory loss and affects a person's ability to do everyday tasks.There is no cure for this progressive brain disorder and in advanced stages, loss of brain function can cause dehydration, poor nutrition or infection. These complications can result in death.

Simple Brain Training Exercise Cuts Dementia Risk For 20 Years, Study Finds

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Simple Brain Training Exercise Cuts Dementia Risk For 20 Years, Study Finds