Dementia Care: One Activity Can Help Reduce Your Risk

Dementia is a collective term that refers to a set of conditions that affect the brain. This would include Alzheimer’s disease and other similar neurological problems like memory loss. Early diagnosis of dementia is important in order to afford the patient the right treatment. If you want to lower your risk, there is one activity that you can do.

Simple Reading Activity

According to a study that was published in 2014, reading books and magazines, regardless of age, will help you reduce your risk of developing the neurological condition. This activity helps in keeping your thinking skills intact. This activity allows your brain to function, keeping your neurons active and preventing it from declining.

Robert S. Wilson, the author of the study from the Rush University Medical Center, declared that as per their study, “exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person’s lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age.”

The Study Results

The study that showed this data looked at 294 elderly women and men, most of whom are already in their 80s. They engaged in memory tests, and thinking tests, in their old age. Aside from the tests, they also answered questionnaires, which sought to determine the frequency of their engagement in mentally stimulating activities.

These activities would include visiting a library, writing letters or reading books. They then looked into how many times they engaged in such activities during their childhood, young adulthood, when they were in their middle age and later as seniors.

When the participants died, the researchers examined their brains for any physical signs of dementia. They looked for telltale signs like tangles of Alzheimer’s disease and brain plaques.

In conclusion, the study ascertained that those who engaged more often in activities that are mentally challenging had a slower rate of memory decline, compared to those who don’t. The best part perhaps was that, even with the presence of the signs of decline like the plaque, they found that stimulating the brain through proper mental activities greatly helped.

So if you want to reduce your risk of developing dementia, don’t stop reading. This helps stimulate the brain and lower your risk.