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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In community centers across the country, seniors gather for book clubs, chess matches, and art classes. These social hubs of mental stimulation may be more than just pleasant diversions – they could be unofficial cognitive health clinics, according to new research.
The study suggests that engaging in cognitively stimulating leisure activities (CSLAs) might be key to preserving cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This research offers hope for those looking to stave off cognitive decline and potentially reduce their risk of developing dementia.
Conducted by researchers at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, the study examined the relationship between different levels of CSLA participation and cognitive function among older adults with MCI over an eight-year period. Their findings indicate that higher levels of engagement in activities like reading, playing word games, and working on hobbies could significantly benefit memory, working memory, and attention and processing speed.
Mild cognitive impairment is a condition that affects many older adults, causing noticeable changes in cognitive abilities but not severe enough to interfere with daily life. It’s often seen as a potential precursor to more serious conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. With the prevalence of dementia expected to rise to 23.5% by 2060 — or about 14 million people — in the United States, finding effective ways to maintain cognitive function is crucial.
The researchers analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, a long-term study of aging in America. They focused on 5,932 participants 50 and older who had MCI at the start of the study in 2012. These individuals were followed until 2020, with their cognitive functions assessed every two years.
Participants were divided into three groups based on their level of engagement in CSLAs: low, medium, and high. The activities considered included reading books or newspapers, playing word games like crossword puzzles, playing cards or chess, writing, and working on hobbies or projects.
The results, published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, were striking. Those in the high CSLA participation group consistently showed higher levels of cognitive function compared to the medium and low groups. Even more encouragingly, the high-participation group managed to maintain a relatively stable level of cognitive function over the eight-year period, while the other groups experienced more significant declines.
“We also found significant differences in all three cognitive functions between years with a declining slope, but the differences between 2014 and the other years of the data set that were examined were not significant,” says Dr. Junhyoung “Paul” Kim, an associate professor of health behavior at Texas A&M, in a statement.
This research builds on the cognitive reserve theory, which suggests that engaging in mentally stimulating activities throughout life can help build a “reserve” of cognitive function. This reserve can then be drawn upon as we age, potentially helping to offset the effects of cognitive decline.
The researchers found that participating in CSLAs at least three to four times a week seemed to provide the most benefit. This frequency of engagement was associated with better performance across all measured cognitive domains: memory, working memory, and attention and processing speed.
These findings have important implications for public health and aging research. They suggest that promoting participation in stimulating hobbies, especially among older adults with MCI, could be a valuable strategy for maintaining cognitive health and potentially slowing the progression to more severe cognitive impairments.
However, the researchers note that there are barriers to CSLA participation for many older adults with MCI. These can include lack of resources, accessibility issues, and the need for caregiver support. They suggest that public healthcare services and community support networks could play a crucial role in overcoming these obstacles and enabling more older adults to engage in these beneficial activities.
While the study provides compelling evidence for the benefits of CSLAs, it’s important to note that cognitive decline is influenced by many factors, including overall health, genetics, and lifestyle. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities is just one piece of the puzzle in maintaining cognitive health as we age.
“In addition, we hope that barriers to doing this, such as inadequate caregiver support and financial constraints, could be overcome through stronger public care services and community support networks,” Kim concludes.
Nevertheless, this research offers a hopeful message: by engaging in enjoyable, mentally stimulating activities, older adults may be able to take an active role in preserving their cognitive abilities. Whether it’s tackling a daily crossword, joining a book club, or learning a new hobby, these leisure activities could be doing more than just passing the time – they might be helping to keep our minds sharp well into our later years.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The researchers used data from the Health and Retirement Study, which surveys a representative sample of Americans over 50 every two years. They focused on participants who had mild cognitive impairment in 2012 and followed them until 2020. Participants’ cognitive functions were tested using standardized assessments for memory, working memory, and attention and processing speed. The researchers also collected information on how often participants engaged in various cognitively stimulating leisure activities. They then used statistical analyses to examine how different levels of activity participation (low, medium, high) related to changes in cognitive function over time.
Key Results
The study found that participants who engaged in high levels of cognitively stimulating leisure activities (CSLAs) showed better cognitive function across all measured domains compared to those with medium or low participation. The high-participation group maintained more stable cognitive function over the eight-year study period. Specifically, they performed better in tests of memory, working memory, and attention and processing speed. The researchers found that participating in CSLAs at least three to four times a week appeared to provide the most benefit.
Study Limitations
The study didn’t distinguish between different types of mild cognitive impairment, which can have varying symptoms and progression rates. The study also didn’t compare older adults with MCI to those without MCI, which could have provided additional insights. Furthermore, the researchers couldn’t control for all possible factors that might affect cognitive function, such as unexpected life events or changes in health status during the study period.
Discussion & Takeaways
The researchers emphasize that their findings support the cognitive reserve theory, suggesting that engaging in mentally stimulating activities can help build a “reserve” of cognitive function that can be drawn upon in later life. They argue that promoting CSLA participation could be an effective strategy for maintaining cognitive health in older adults with MCI. However, they also note the importance of addressing barriers to participation, such as lack of resources or caregiver support. The study suggests that tailoring CSLA programs to individual needs and preferences could maximize their benefits.
Funding & Disclosures
The study used data from the Health and Retirement Study. The researchers did not report any specific funding for this analysis or any conflicts of interest.
I’m a 78 y.o. retired general psychiatrist. I notice that my memory is not as sharp as it once was, but I remain quite active in mostly solitary activities. I’m hoping to socialize more when my wife and I move to a continuing care residential community. We solve seven Sunday crosswords each week, sitting near each other and discussing particularly interesting clues. I get to read a lot more books and news sources than I had time for while working. One thing that not so many people my age are engaged in is challenging computer games. These include strategy and role-playing games in particular. I’ve moved away from multiplayer gaming lately because I don’t like being the slowest player on a team, which is inevitable when you consider that most players are 50 years younger. I think the gaming really helps me to stay mentally sharp because I have to learn new rules and methods for each new game, plus many games require fast reactions or involve complex strategy choices. One of my favorite strategy games is “Endless Legend” which is an older title with great complexity and no rush to take action (unless you go multiplayer). Most recently, I’ve also enjoyed the first two titles in the “Horizon” series which has a terrific story unfolding over the course of more than a hundred hours, not to mention the need for continuous learning and fast reactions. Most such games offer considerable adjustments in difficulty to make them playable for hard-core as well as casual players. The animations in “Horizon” must be seen to be believed! I think computer gaming has suffered from older intellectuals who look down on such activities when they know very little about what’s available.
“Whether it’s tackling a daily crossword, joining a book club, or learning a new hobby, these leisure activities could be doing more than just passing the time – they might be helping to keep our minds sharp well into our later years.”
I am a medical anthropologist. The problem is that western culture is ageist, and does not value the elderly, and mostly marginalizes them. Instead of engaging the elderly with family connections and responsibilities as wise and respected elders, and encouraging them to participate in occupations that are meaningful, the culture removes elderly people to the retirement farm, and offers them games and pastimes to keep their idle minds from decaying from non-use.
The message is, when it comes to the mind, use it or lose it. But the same can be said of people: use them, or lose them. If you want to stay alive, keep relevant. That will keep your brain as healthy as possible, as you continue to focus on participating in a meaningful life.