Originally published August 9 2005
Exercise your brain to stem Alzheimer's
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Researchers have found that mental stimulation may be the key to warding off Alzheimer's.
The NECC runs one of a growing number of programs that work with older adults to improve cognitive abilities.
Activities include computer programs designed to stimulate specific areas of the brain, replication of geometric designs using boards with pegs and rubber bands, and visual and auditory memory exercises.
Some of the other programs are Maintain Your Brain, initiated a year ago by the Alzheimer's Association; Mind Alert, run by the American Society on Aging; and other regional programs such as the Center for Healthy Aging in Kent, Ohio.
For do-it-yourself types, a plethora of books have been published on getting the brain in shape.
"There are gains that are subsequent and consequent to a lifelong history of mental activity and mental striving," Goldberg said.
He also believes brain exercises can benefit adults suffering from mild cognitive impairment, and he has developed computer puzzles designed to help them stimulate different areas of their brain.
One of the most extensive and widely cited investigations on the subject, the landmark Nun Study, tracked 100 Milwaukee nuns who had written autobiographies in the 1930s.
Those who demonstrated lower linguistic ability in the autobiographies were at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Gatz wrote in an e-mail that she would be more convinced if researchers randomly assigned cognitive training, then followed study subjects over several decades.
She also said she was concerned that too much emphasis on the benefits of mental fitness could stigmatize Alzheimer's patients.
"If mental exercise is widely believed to prevent (Alzheimer's disease), then individuals who do become demented may be blamed for their disease on the grounds of not having exercised their brains enough," she said.
Still, supporters of cognitive-fitness programs are pushing for greater recognition from the federal government.
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