Activities that Help Prevent Dementia

According to a new study, activities such as using computers, writing, and playing puzzles or games are more strongly related with avoiding dementia than creative activities such as knitting or painting, or being a social butterfly.

The findings, which are some of the most comprehensive on this topic to date, may help older people and aged care providers design more tailored approaches to dementia risk reduction.

In 2022, there will be 55 million dementia patients globally, with 10 million new cases diagnosed each year. Dementia has an influence on the physical and emotional health of those affected, as well as the well-being of their caregivers and family, and it places a pressure on worldwide health systems.

Using the known ASPREE dataset, Monash University researchers discovered that older people who frequently engaged in literacy and mental acuity tasks such as taking education classes, keeping journals, and playing crossword puzzles were 9-11% less likely to develop dementia than their contemporaries. Crafting and other creative activities reduced risk by 7%.

Even after adjusting for prior education level and socioeconomic position, the results remained significant.

In contrast, the size of someone’s social network and the frequency of visits to the movies or restaurants were not connected with a lower risk of dementia.

The study’s senior author, Associate Professor Joanne Ryan, from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, says:

“Identifying strategies to prevent or delay dementia is a huge global priority. We had a unique opportunity to close a gap in knowledge by investigating a broad range of lifestyle enrichment activities that older people often undertake, and assess which of those were most strongly aligned with avoiding dementia.”

There is already solid evidence linking early childhood education to a lower incidence of dementia later in life.

However, most studies on older people focus on either one or two distinct leisure activities, rather than the range of activities that many older people participate in, and even fewer studies take individuals’ education and health status into account.

Literacy and mental acuity tasks such as adult education classes, keeping a journal, and completing quizzes and crossword puzzles, more passive activities such as keeping up with the news or reading, creative hobbies such as woodworking or knitting, and social activities such as meeting friends or going on planned excursions are examples of diverse leisure activities.

Dr Zimu Wu, the study’s lead author, gathered data from 10,318 Australians aged 70 and older who took part in the ASPREE research and the ALSOP (ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons) sub-study.

There were no significant differences between men and women who were all free of dementia when they enrolled in ASPREE and performed standardised cognitive assessments over a 10-year period. In ALSOP questionnaires, participants self-reported their social and leisure activities.

Prior neuroscience studies may shed light on the mechanisms underlying the findings.

Many exercises for active literacy and mental acuity integrate critical thinking, logical reasoning, and social connection. These improve brain network efficiency and promote resilience against brain illnesses by enhancing neuronal and synaptic connections.

Literacy activities include attending education classes, using a computer, and writing – all of which necessitate the processing and storage of new information, which slows brain aging and protects against dementia. Writing is a highly difficult process that involves a wide range of cognitive functions.

Computer use activates several brain regions that must cooperate with the physical abilities required for typing, and adopting new technology is a cognitively demanding process.

Mental pursuits such as crossword puzzles and puzzles, as well as games/cards/chess, frequently include a social contact component. They can be competitive at times and need intricate strategy and problem-solving.

They typically participate in cognitive areas such as episodic memory, visuospatial skills, calculation, executive function, attention and focus, language skills, and semantic memory.

“I think what our results tell us is that active manipulation of previously stored knowledge may play a greater role in dementia risk reduction than more passive recreational activities,” says Associate Professor Ryan. “Keeping the mind active and challenged may be particularly important.”

The findings do not rule out the possibility that persons who are naturally drawn to certain leisure activities have specific personality features that are otherwise beneficial, or that they generally adhere to better health behaviors.

As a result, despite any structural brain changes that may occur as a result of cognitive training, it remains difficult to demonstrate the extent to which certain leisure activities may be converted into dementia prevention programs.

Furthermore, even though the study found no obvious link between social connection and dementia risk, it is possible that social connection is still beneficial for cognitive health and emotional wellbeing. The participants were cognitively sound and likely already led socially engaged lives, thus the cognitive benefits of strong social networks may be less visible in this group than in the general population.

“While engaging in literacy and mental acuity activities may not be a magic pill to avoid dementia, if that was your goal and you had to choose, our research certainly suggests these are the activities most likely to support prolonged good cognitive health,” says Associate Professor Ryan.

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