Exercise And Sharp Mind

Keeping brains sharp as you age Brief sessions of brain exercise can have long-lasting benefits for elderly people, helping them stay mentally fit for at least five years, one of the most rigorous tests of the “use-it-or-lose-it” theory suggests. For people age 73 on average, just 10 sessions — less time than it takes to stay physically fit —. helped keep their brains sharp.

The brain training involved hour long classes and included exercises done on a computer. While it is uncertain if similar results would occur with mental exercise done at home, other research has shown that intellectual tasks such as crossword puzzles and reading can help keep the brain sharp as people grow old.

The study appears in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. It was led by Sherry Willis, a human development professor at Penn State University. Nearly 3,000 men and women in six cities — Baltimore; Birmmgham, Ala.; Boston; Detroit; Indianapolis; and State College, Pa. — participated in the study. Most were white; about one-fifth were black. They were randomly assigned to six-week training sessions in either memory, reasoning or speedy mental processing, and were tested before and after. A comparison group received no training but was also tested.

About 700 of the 1,877 people who survived all five years also got short refresher sessions one year and three years after their initial training. The memory training included organizing a 15-item grocery list into categories such as dairy, vegetables and meat to make it easier to remember and locate items. The reasoning training taught participants how to see patterns in everyday tasks such as bus schedules and taking medicines.

The speed training had participants quickly identify flashing objects on a computer screen, some of the same reaction skills used while driving. Nearly 90 percent of the speed training group, 74 percent of the reasoning group and 26 percent of the memory group showed almost immediate improvements in scores on tests of the mental functions they were trained in. The improvements in most cases lasted throughout the five years of the study and were most notable in people who got refresher sessions.

[tags]exercise, brain power, antiaging exercise[/tags]