By R. Jerome Ferraro
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For the Brain, a Net Gain
By Harold Evans, September & October 2005
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Besides sharpening their reflexes, the members of the Print and Paddle Club may well be helping their brains stay in shape too. After studying computerized brain scans of table tennis players, two researchers wrote in the Japan Medical Journal that all players—even those who aren't very good—increased blood flow to their brains, with impressive results.
The scientists had 42 patients, all suffering from cerebrovascular conditions such as brain tumors and head injuries, take up Ping-Pong. Of 18 patients who'd been confined to wheelchairs, a dozen were walking again after two and a half months. And more than half of the patients suffering from high dementia had their dementia reduced to the intermediate level.
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