Brain training sessions found to reduce dementia risk in decades-long study
Based on the latest 20-year results, the team plans to launch follow-up trials to explore how older adults can benefit from pairing cognitive training with lifestyle habits like physical activity, diet improvements and blood pressure management.
Keeping the mind active and learning new skills can protect the brain, experts agree. (iStock)
“I’m most excited about the ability to merge real-world data, like Medicare records, with a clinical trial like ours,” Marsiske shared with Fox News Digital.
This study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research. Fox News Digital reached out to UF Health for comment.
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Other recent research has attempted to link certain lifestyle changes and exercises to reduced dementia risk. A new study, published in the journal JMIR Serious Games, found that playing certain games on a smartphone can improve attention and memory.
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Dr. Daniel Amen, psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics, previously commented on this method of brain training, noting that it’s “critical” to continue learning and to challenge the brain, but that it’s important to set boundaries.
Playing challenging games on a smartphone can be helpful for brain stimulation, says a brain health expert. (iStock)
“If you can be disciplined, word games, for example, or Sudoku games … can be helpful and have been shown to increase memory,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“New learning is a very important, critical strategy to decrease aging,” Amen went on. “You should be spending 15 minutes a day learning something new that you don’t know … whether it’s a language, a musical instrument, a new gardening technique or a new technique in cooking.”
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/brain-training-sessions-found-reduce-dementia-risk-decades-long-study