Photo by Mark Hooper
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Stay Sharp Longer
By Kelly Griffin, September & October 2005
Nine simple habits that can boost your brainpower
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You can't stop Alzheimer's disease, but you may be able to
delay its devastating effects. A mysterious capacity called neural
reserve seems to protect a few lucky AD sufferers from having any
symptoms at all. These people perform normally on cognitive tests and
are thought to be free of the disease. But at autopsy they are
discovered to have all the brain plaques and tangles of AD. Doctors
say that neural reserve—a built-in redundancy of the machinery
of the brain—allowed these people to continue thinking normally,
even as the disease progressed.
Scientists argue over whether this surplus capacity is the result of
extra neurons, extra connections, or some other factor. But they agree
that it is good to have.
So how do you get this magical protection? Some of it comes from your
genes. But new research suggests that there are things you can do to
add to your neural reserve.
Regular exercise, social interaction, and a healthy diet are crucial.
But so is doing familiar things in unfamiliar ways. Disrupting
routines can stimulate nerve cells, enhance blood flow, and increase
the production of chemicals called neurotrophins that protect those
precious brain cells.
The number of opportunities to inject novelty into everyday tasks is
limited only by your imagination. Here are a few suggestions to get
you started:
1. Switch Sides Use your nondominant hand for routine
activities such as brushing your teeth. Put the mouse on the other
side of your computer. For an extra challenge, try buttoning your
shirt one-handed. These changes recruit little-used connections in
your brain.
2. Change the Scenery Rearranging a room is a good way to remap
the visual and spatial networks in your brain. Or try rearranging the
items in your kitchen cabinets or dresser drawers, or taking a new
route to work. Even a simple change, like moving the wastepaper basket
to a new spot, alters motor pathways in your brain.
3. Make Hand Signals Learning to spell using the manual
alphabet will work out your motor and visual cortex at the same time.
You can find illustrations of the 26 hand positions alongside the
definition of "manual alphabet" in some dictionaries or online.
Read All Articles in This Special Report
Inside Jim's Brain: How Scientists Are Untangling the Mysteries of
Alzheimer's
What It Feels Like: A Personal Account of Living With Alzheimer's
He's Still in There: A Daughter's Perspective
Finding Help: New Choices for People With Early-Stage Alzheimer's
Great Pretenders: Common Ailments and Drugs Known to Monkey With Memory
Web Exclusive: Feed Your Head With Healthy Brain Foods
Back to the first article in this Special Report: You’re Wiser Now
4. Do It Blindfolded Try familiar activities with your eyes
closed. Sort coins using only your sense of touch. Savor a bowl of
blueberries, focusing on your senses of smell and taste. Why
blueberries? Because they contain compounds that bridge the
communication gap between aging nerve cells. "Blueberries are the
Dr. Phil for old neurons," says Tufts University neuroscientist
James Joseph, Ph.D. "They get them talking to one another."
5. Puzzle It Out Crosswords are great for sharpening language
skills, but working on your spatial intelligence with a jigsaw puzzle
is more likely to activate new pathways in your brain. You don't
have to do it all at once; try putting a few pieces in place a day.
6. Share Story Time Take turns reading aloud with a friend or
loved one. Both reading out loud and listening promote the interaction
of your brain's left and right hemispheres and activate
little-used pathways. Reading silently activates a much smaller part
of your mental real estate, as does watching TV together.
7. Catch a Whiff Smell is the only sense that connects directly
to a part of the brain called the limbic system, which is involved in
processing emotions and storing memories. That's why certain odors
can make you feel nostalgic. Listening to music while burning a
scented candle will build brain connections by combining two
senses—hearing and smell—that don't ordinarily
collaborate.
8. Report the News Describing things to others is an excellent
way to improve your visual memory. Make it a goal to notice one new
thing every day and then tell someone about it later. This will help
you improve both attention and memory skills. It will also open your
eyes to things you've never noticed before and give you the
opportunity to share your discovery with another person.
9. Take a Walk Older adults who start a regular walking program
improve significantly on tests of high-level "executive"
functions such as planning, scheduling, and task coordination. Aerobic
exercise raises levels of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic
factor, or BDNF, which protects nerve cells from the damage caused by
free radicals, boosts the number of connections between neurons,
promotes the formation of new capillaries in the brain, and may even
be involved in the construction of new neurons from adult stem cells.
Studies that have combined strength training, such as lifting weights,
with aerobic activity have yielded even greater improvement in
cognitive function.
You can learn more about cerebral fitness through Staying Sharp, a public-information program presented jointly by NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. Check out the website or attend the Staying Sharp Forum October 1 at AARP’s Life@50+ | National Event & Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana. For a schedule of additional free Staying Sharp forums, visit the website given above or call 888-OUR-AARP (888-687-2277).
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