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To find out how to build your cognitive reserve, go to: http://www.hellobrain.eu
Funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme.
How can I keep my brain sharp when my body gets old?
Over time you lose more and more nerve connections which can result in a damaged brain. This can mean you may be slower then you used to be. You may have occasional moments of forgetfulness but for many these difficulties in old age can be much more serious.
Up to 50% of the over 80's develop dementia! Dementia causes loss of memory and mood changes, people can struggle to speak and understand others and the condition is progressive, it just gets worse and worse. By 2050 nearly 20million Europeans will have it.
Can you avoid this happening to you? Almost 3/4's of people with Dementia have Alzheimer's disease. Inside their brains, scientists have noticed a build up of sticky, toxic, proteins called beta amyloid plaques. These plaques help to disrupt the connections between brain cells. Eventually cells die altogether, which is taught to prompt their owners confusion. But as they studied more brains scientists became puzzled. Some people with this type of brain damage had no obvious symptoms of Alzheimer's. In fact, this was a breakthrough discovery. It is now taught that those without symptoms have more brain cells to begin with, do more with fewer cells or use different parts of their brains to do the work of the damaged bits.
This breakthrough has become known as cognitive reserve! So how do you build some? In 1994, researchers decided to study a group of 801 elderly nuns, priests and monks, following them for 7 years. The study showed that those who spent more time reading newspapers or books and other mental stimulating activities were as much as 33% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists are still investigating this strange phenomenon but they do think that adding just a little bit more mental activity to your day, like trying a new recipe, a new hobby or just making time to socialize puts your brain cells into training! Building up that all to important, Cognitive Reserve!!
