March 15, 2004 Hello! "'The observation
is this: if individuals engage in mental activities such as solving
crossword puzzles, solving mathematical problems, writing creatively.
And if you do that on a regular basis, that kind of activity appears
to have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease. The specific
kind of mental activity that‚s associated with that protection
has not been worked out and is the subject of further research.'" Since playing math games may not be your first choice for fun, there are other ways to keep your brain active. "US researchers claim
taking part in a lot of leisure activities, such as visiting friends
or relatives can reduce a person's risk of developing [Alzheimer's
disease] by as much as 38%. Reading a book or magazine, seeing a
movie or going for a walk are also activities which may help, they
say....The US study backs up previous research which suggested mental
and physical activity may help prevent Alzheimer's disease....Over
seven years, researchers looked at how often they participated in
13 common leisure activities which were classed as intellectual,
physical or social....Comparing those who developed dementia with
those who did not showed that those people who had high leisure
activities were 38% less likely to develop dementia....And each
activity people participated in was linked to an additional 8% reduction
in risk." If Alzheimer's seems like something in the distant future that you'll never have to worry about, then think of some ways this knowledge can help you--or someone you love--right now. Could you encourage your parents or grandparents to take time for a hobby they have always enjoyed--or maybe help them find a new one? Do they have skills that you would like to learn? Do you have any skills that you could share with them? Planning for the future is important, and it's good to think about the health of others, but what about your health and life right now. Does any of this brain stretching help people under the age of forty? "Researchers from
Hong Kong have found children who are given musical training have
better verbal memories than those who have not had lessons....All
the children were given verbal memory tests, to see how many words
they recalled from a list, and a visual memory test for images.
Those students who had been given music lessons recalled significantly
more words than the untrained students, and generally learned more
words with each subsequent test....And the longer the boys had been
receiving music lessons, the better their verbal memory was as well.
However, no differences were found in visual memory between the
groups. The researchers suggest music lessons stimulate the left
side of the brain, which also controls verbal learning." Have you always wanted to join a band? Do you need reason to socialize? Maybe you've always wanted to learn to carve, paint, knit, or even juggle... "Street performers,
circus entertainers and clowns: they can all juggle. Neuroscientists
are now getting into the juggling act. Brain researchers at the
University of Regensburg (Germany) have found that learning to juggle
can change brain structure....These data suggest that learning new
skills can alter brain structure. However, it is unclear what exactly
caused the brain changes. The expansion in the two brain areas may
have been caused by an increase in the number of nerve cells, glial
cells or synapses. Further research may provide therapies for people
who have brain damage. For example, it may be possible to design
an exercise program to target a specific area of the brain to repair
damage and restore function." Even if you aren't recovering
from a brain injury, your brain can still benefit from an exercise
program. While some people enjoy crossword puzzles, and others like
calculus, neither of these may be your first choice. What's fun
for you? Questions of the Week: --------------------------------------------------- ***Please don't forget:
I want to hear from you!*** --------------------------------------------------- Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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