Memory Maximizers: Digital Literacy & Dementia; Vitamin D & Alzheimer’s Disease
Increase Your Digital Literacy to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia
An encouraging new study suggests that working out on the computer is terrific exercise for the brain—and may be associated with a better memory and lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia. According to the research, which was published in the September 2014 issue of The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Medical Sciences, older adults who are digitally literate—able to engage, plan, and execute digital actions such as browsing the internet or sending and receiving emails—are less likely to lose brainpower with age. The researchers followed 6,442 adults aged 50 to 89 who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Over a period of eight years the participants’ delayed recall of words from a 10-word list was tested at five different measurement points. The study revealed that participants with characteristics that included the highest digital literacy scores, along with higher wealth and education, showed improvement in their delayed recall tasks, while the recall of those with characteristics that included no digital literacy, along with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, functional impairment, and symptoms of depression, showed decline. The researchers said their findings suggest that “digital literacy increases brain and cognitive reserve or leads to the employment of more efficient cognitive networks to delay cognitive decline,” and concluded that “countries where policy interventions regarding improvement in digital literacy are implemented may expect lower incidence rates for dementia over the coming decades.”
The takeaway for older adults? Consider learning to use a computer and actively engaging in computer activities and internet tasks as a way to stay mentally sharp. Socializing on the internet through emails and chats is also linked to better cognitive performance.
Study: Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Greater Alzheimer’s Risk
A large study examining the association between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and blood levels of vitamin D in older adults suggests that seniors with the lowest levels of the vitamin may have more than twice the risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease as seniors with normal levels. In a paper published online Aug. 6, 2014 in the journal Neurology, researchers reported that AD risk increased with the severity of vitamin D deficiency. For the research, scientists analyzed data on a group of more than 1,600 healthy adults over age 65 who had participated in a long-term study between 1992 and 1999. The participants had undergone blood tests to determine their vitamin D levels, and were given a mental status assessment approximately six years later. The scientists found that, compared to participants with normal vitamin D levels, those with lower-than-normal levels experienced 1.7 times the risk of developing AD, and those with severely low levels had about 2.2 times the risk. Although the research did not find a definitive cause-and-effect relationship and does not conclusively prove that boosting vitamin D levels can lower risk for AD, it was the largest study to date to find a link between the two factors.
Vitamin D levels of participants in the study reflected skin exposure to sunshine, use of supplements, and consumption of foods rich in the nutrients, the researchers found. The vitamin is believed to regulate immune function and inflammation, play a role in cell growth, and help clear plaques in the brain associated with dementia—a possible explanation for any positive effects it may have in protecting brain health. Foods rich in vitamin D include cold-water fish such as sardines, salmon, tuna, or mackerel, beef or calf liver, dairy products (mild, cheese, yogurt) fortified with vitamin D, and egg yolks.
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