Scientists: Brain Use Slows Deterioration

W A S H I N G T O N, July 25 -- The brain is like a muscle: Use it or lose it.

That’s the growing conclusion of research that shows foggedmemory and slowed wit are not inevitable consequences of gettingold, and there are steps people can take to protect their brains.

Mental exercise seems crucial. Benefits start when parents readto tots and depend heavily on education, but scientists say it’snever too late to start jogging the gray matter.

People have to get physical, too. Bad memory is linked to heartdisease, diabetes and a high-fat diet, all risks people can counterby living healthier lives.

Increasing Protective Factors

In fact, provocative new research suggests thesebrain-protective steps, mental and physical, may be strong enougheven to help influence who gets Alzheimer’s disease.

“There are some things that, if you know you have a familyhistory [of Alzheimer’s] and you’re just 20 to 30 years old, youcan start doing to increase your protective factors,” said Dr.Amir Soas of Case Western Reserve University Medical School inCleveland.

It’s also good advice for the average baby boomer hoping to staysharp, or the mom priming her child for a lifelong healthy brain.

Most important: “Read, read, read,” Soas said. Do crosswordpuzzles. Pull out the chessboard or Scrabble. Learn a foreignlanguage or a new hobby. “Anything that stimulates the brain tothink,” he said.

And cut back on TV, Soas insists. “When you watch television,your brain goes into neutral,” he said. So much so that CaseWestern plans to study whether people who contract Alzheimer’swatched more TV throughout life than healthy seniors.

Brain Rewiring

The stereotype of the forgetful grandma has its roots innow-outdated dogma. Just a few years ago, scientists believed thebrain was wired forever before age 5, and that over the ensuingdecades a person irrevocably lost neurons and crucial braincircuitry until eventually mental decline became noticeable.