Alzheimer’s doesn’t have to be your brain’s destiny (from author of “Still Alice”)
says neuroscientist and author of “Still Alice,” Lisa Genova. In this TED talk, she shares the latest science investigating the disease — and some promising research on what each of us can do to build an Alzheimer’s-resistant brain. Watch this inspiring talk, but also see how you can protect yourself from Alzheimer too here in my other blog post.
Genova said “we can be resilient to the presence of Alzheimer’s pathology through the recruitment of yet-undamaged pathways. And we create these pathways, this cognitive reserve, by learning new things. Ideally, we want these new things to be as rich in meaning as possible, recruiting sight and sound and associations and emotion.”
A July 2015 research paper suggests that social interaction may be a better form of mental exercise than brain training. Specialist in Alzheimer’s prevention, Jessica Langbaum knows that exercising her mental muscles can help keep her brain sharp. “People who have a lot of social interactions, particularly in mid-life, have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in later life,” Langbaum says. “There’s something about being around people that’s helpful for our brains.”
Source and Credit
Genova, L. (2018). What you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s. Ted.com. Retrieved 4 March 2018, from https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_prevent_alzheimer_s/transcript
Kuiper, J., Zuidersma, M., Oude Voshaar, R., Zuidema, S., van den Heuvel, E., Stolk, R., & Smidt, N. (2015). Social relationships and risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies. Ageing Research Reviews, 22, 39-57. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2015.04.006
NPR Choice page. (2018). Npr.org. Retrieved 12 October 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/08/654903558/a-brain-scientist-who-studies-alzheimers-explains-how-she-stays-mentally-fit?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits
