Memory Maximizers: Keeping An Active Mind; Hearing Aids Prevent Cognitive Decline
Keep An Active Schedule To Preserve An Active Mind
Staying busy may be the secret to staying smart, according to a study published online in the May 17, 2016 issue of Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Scientists asked 330 older adults to rate how busy their daily routines were, by answering questions such as, “How often do you have too many things to do each day to actually get them all done?” The researchers also gave study participants a battery of cognitive tests. Analysis of the data revealed that participants who reported the busiest schedules were most likely to achieve high scores on the tests of mental performance. The busier a participant was, the better his or her performance on the tests. The researchers theorized that busy people may have more “effortful engagement” with life than less active individuals, resulting in a comparatively greater sense of purpose, higher levels of challenge, and greater opportunity to learn new skills.
The most effective way to achieve a brain boost from a busy lifestyle would be to fill your calendar with a broad range of stimulating mental, physical, and social activities, which research suggests can help you maintain optimal brain health and functioning. Seek pursuits that interest, challenge, or inspire you, and that involve new people, new topics, and new skills. Some ideas: join an exercise group; take a class, either online, or at a local school or university; learn a new sport or board game; become a member of your neighborhood association; volunteer to help out at your place of worship; learn a language; incorporate more physical activity into your day by walking or biking instead of driving; tutor kids at the local elementary school; or join a book club. However, avoid over-scheduling that might cause unhealthy levels of stress: The idea is to add some additional brain-stimulating activities to your schedule, not to wear yourself out.
Hearing Aids Protect Against Cognitive Decline
Losing your hearing? Research published online April 25, 2016 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests that wearing a hearing aid will not only restore your hearing, but help keep your mind sharp as well. The findings are especially important, given that one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 and nearly half of people over the age of 75 have sustained hearing loss, yet fewer than 15 percent use a hearing aid. The research involved 100 older adults, 34 of whom regularly used hearing aids for their hearing impairment, and 66 of whom did not. The study participants underwent hearing tests and evaluations of their cognitive function. A comparison between the participants who regularly wore hearing aids and those who did not showed that those who wore the aids did significantly better on cognitive tests, even when their hearing impairment was worse. Previous studies have shown that the hearing-impaired elderly are more apt to experience social isolation and dementia than individuals without hearing loss, and that hearing aid use can improve the social, functional, and emotional consequences of hearing loss. Using a hearing aid may offer a simple, yet important, way to prevent or slow the development of dementia by keeping adults with hearing loss engaged in mentally stimulating conversation and communication.
The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders provides a list of questions to help you determine whether you need to have your hearing checked by a doctor. If you answer “yes” to three or more of the clipboard questions (right), you should seek a professional assessment to see if you have hearing loss.
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