| Ask anyone who's ever forgotten the name of a | | | | If you make brain-healthy lifestyle changes and take |
| longtime co-worker,or had to re-read a paragraph 3 | | | | action by getting involved, we could realize a future |
| times before absorbing its content, | | | | without Alzheimer's disease,or other forms of |
| When the mental strength and agility of youth start | | | | dementia. |
| to slip, the wisdom of age tells you something.You | | | | The Good News! |
| want it back. | | | | Reseachers have found destinct evidence that has |
| If a method of preserving or restoring youthful | | | | revealed that the brain is capable of producing new |
| mental vigor were safe, inexpensive, and as simple | | | | brain cells for the purpose of maintaining established |
| and diverting as playing a video gamefor a short | | | | connections pathways necessary for long-term |
| while each day, wisdom would tell us to do it. | | | | memories as well as enabling the acquisition of new |
| That calculation is why mental fitness programs have | | | | memories. |
| become the latest frontier in the nation's quest to | | | | Finding that the Brain Can Produce New Brain Cells |
| age without conceding to infirmity. | | | | was nothing short of revolutionary. |
| Regular Exercise Helps The Brain by improving | | | | It transformed the way neuroscientists think about |
| concentration and attention. | | | | the aging brain and memory. |
| Brain imaging studies show that highly-fit older adults | | | | If the brain is able to generate new brain cells,there's |
| have faster reaction times—an indication of better | | | | hope that one day it may be possible to offset the |
| concentration—than their less-fit counterparts. | | | | damage and severe memory loss of dementia and |
| They also are better able to focus on relevant | | | | that brought on by degenerative brain disorders such |
| information and ignore irrelevant cues, indicating | | | | as Alzheimer's disease. |
| better attention. | | | | Exercising the Brain. People who keep their brains |
| Highly fit individuals also show less of a decrease in | | | | active by reading or doing jigsaw puzzles, word |
| gray matter in the cortex than is normally seen with | | | | games or chess are less likely to have |
| aging,which may suggest a protective effect of | | | | Alzheimer’s disease. |
| exercise against nerve cell death. This effect is most | | | | “We found that frequency of cognitive activity, |
| pronounced in areas of the brain involved in | | | | but not of physical activity, was associated with risk |
| executive cognition that typically decline most with | | | | of developing Alzheimer’s diseaseand the rate of |
| aging. | | | | cognitive decline. We found that compared to |
| When people think about staying fit, they generally | | | | persons with infrequent cognitive activity, risk of |
| think from the neck down,and while physical exercise | | | | developing Alzheimer’s disease was reduced by |
| is important to whole body function,the healthof your | | | | about 50%in people who were frequently cognitively |
| brain plays a critical role in almost everything you do: | | | | active,” said Robert Wilson, Ph.D. |
| thinking, feeling, remembering, working, and playing | | | | Wilson, RS et al. Neurology, Nov 2007; 69: 1911-1920. |
| – even sleeping. | | | | So for a healthy better brain..eat healthy,get some |
| We now know there’s a lot you can do to help | | | | physical exercise every day,and don't neglect to |
| keep your brain healthier as you age. These steps | | | | exercise the brain as well! |
| might also reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s | | | | Brain games are fun,challenging and most importantly |
| disease or other dementia. | | | | promote new pathways within the brain that can lead |
| Simple lifestyle modifications also would have an | | | | us to better brain health. |
| enormous impact on our nation's public health and the | | | | To better minds everywhere! |
| cost of health care. | | | | |