Study: Brain Exercises Better for Protecting Memory Than Drugs

By Lisa Collier Cool May 22, 2013 42 Recommend

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by Lisa Collier Cool

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Some strategies and products used to ward off memory-robbing disorders like Alzheimers are useless or even dangerous, while others really do work,

according to a new analysis of 32 randomized clinical trials. The review was published in Canadian Medical Journal and involved more than 36,000 patients. The scientists who conducted the review found no consistent scientific evidence that any drug, vitamin, or herbal product prevents mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in healthy older adults. However, they did find solid evidence in 3 of the clinical trials that certain brain exercisescalled cognitive training exercises may help prevent mental decline. Up to 25 percent of people age 70 or older develop MCI, often the precursor to conditions like Alzheimers, and each year, about 10 percent of them progress to full-blown dementia.

Conflicting Findings About Hormone Therapy

In large clinical trials, estrogen replacement therapy and certain antiinflammatory drugs, such as naproxen (Aleve) and celecoxib (Celebrex), appeared to actually worsen memory, the scientists, who are based in St. Michaels Hospital in Canada, reported. Studies of testosterone had conflicting results, the review found, with one 3month study showing possible improvements in spatial and verbal memory, while another study reported no significant changes in memory-related outcomes over 3 years. In a new randomized clinical trial (not included in the review) involving 334 men with low T, those who were treated with testosterone replacement therapy experienced significant improvements in mental health, compared to a control group, according to a report from Medscape. The study, which was presented by Dr. Hiroyuki Konaka, MD, at the American Urological Association 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting, also found improvements in muscle volume, waist size, and sexual function. Erectile Dysfunction: Causes and Treatments

Natural Ways to Keep Your Wits Sharp

The review found that cognitive training (brain exercises) is particularly beneficial for warding off MCI, and theres some evidence that exercise also helps. In addition, emerging scientific evidence suggests that the following tactics can also help boost memory and protect brain health, reports Samuel Gandy, MD, Ph.D., professor of neurology and psychiatry, and associate director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in New York City.

1. Rev up brain activity to create a cognitive reserve.

Not only does keeping mentally active increase your brains vitality, but it may also build up your cognitive reserve of brain cells and connections. Essentially, your cognitive reserve is like a retirement fund: It lets the brain to continue functioning normally even it becomes damaged. For example, in a review article, Columbia University researchers discuss 10 cases in which seemingly normal elderly women were found to have advanced Alzheimers disease pathology (plaques and tangles in the brain) at death. Researchers theorize that the women didnt show symptoms of dementia because their brains were larger than average. Similarly, a stroke of a given magnitude can cause profound impairment in one person, yet may and have minimal impact in someone else. Cognitive reserve is thought to explain these situations. Socializing with friends, solving puzzles, playing games, attending lectures or taking a class, playing a musical instrument, or learning a foreign language are all excellent ways to stimulate the brain and may add to its cognitive reserve. Learn the Warnings Signs of Stroke

2. Use memory tricks to boost recall.

The one [trick] with the strongest evidence link is connecting the memory to an emotion, since experiences that are frightening, joyful, stressful, or exciting are more likely to be recalled than those with no emotional impact, says Dr. Gandy. Also involve all of your senses whenever possible: If you see it, touch it, taste it, hear it, and smell it, youre much more likely to remember it. He also

recommends mnemonics, such as using the first letters of foods on your grocery list to form easy-to-remember words, or rhymes, such as the familiar verse beginning, Thirty days hath September that reminds people of the number of days in each month.

3. Eat a Mediterranean dietwith extra nuts and berries.

As I recently reported, a groundbreaking clinical trial found that not only does a diet thats high in fish, nuts, vegetables, fruit, olive oil, and even red wine reduce heart attack risk by about 30 percent, but in the study, people who ate extra nuts have 46 percent reduction in risk for stroke, a leading cause of both brain damage and vascular dementia. The Harvard nurses study recently reported that older women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries delayed mental decline due to brain aging by up to 2.5 years, compared to women who ate the fewest berries.

4. If your bad cholesterol is too high, get treatment.

There is a poorly understood relationship between high cholesterol and Alzheimers, which seems to be some form of a chemical interaction between cholesterol and the beta-amyloid substances that cause Alzheimers plaques, says Dr. Gandy, who recommends limiting or avoiding red meat and other foods that are high in saturated fat. Other ways to lower cholesterol include weight loss, eating more fiber, exercising more, and if lifestyle changes arent enough, taking medication.

5. Exercise at least three times a week.

Many good studies show that 30-minutes workouts, including brisk walking and weight training, at least three times a week help maintain mental skills or slow the progression of cognitive decline, says Dr. Gandy. Exercise does a lot of interesting things beyond increasing blood flow to the brain. For example, it takes a lot of brain activity to coordinate your muscles. Exercise also increases substances that help keep nerve cells alive. And in studies of people with a high risk gene for Alzheimers called ApoE4, you can actually see neurological improvements on brain scans performed after exercise. All of these are great reasons to lace up your shoes and head for the gym or your favorite jogging trail.