If you have a history of Alzheimer's or dementia in your family, you may be living in fear of brain atrophy or wondering how to prevent dementia. Toni Feldman has a history of dementia in her family, too. Here's how Toni has tried to help slow the progress of brain aging.
Last year, Toni had her brain tested. The results were good so now she's working to keep it that way.
The baseline testing on her cognitive and neurologic function took place at the Center for Healthy Brain Aging at St. Louis University. Initially, Feldmann, 64, of Fenton, demanded genetic testing, too. Her mother spent the last 18 years of her life battling Alzheimer's disease. Now her sister has extreme dementia from the disease.
Dr. Abhilash Desai, director of the Center for Healthy Brain Aging, insisted that Feldmann first create a plan for what she'd do if results showed she had the Alzheimer's gene.
"I thought maybe I would just go to bed and stay there, or say 'Well I can't do (stuff) because I have Alzheimer's,'" Feldmann said. "So I opted not to have the test. I decided to do stuff to prevent (Alzheimer's) rather than dwell on the fact that I have it. Not knowing gives me more motivation to prevent it."
This week is National Brain Awareness Week, and medical experts believe that raising awareness will take on added significance in coming years. Most of the 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease are 65 or older. That number is expected to grow markedly as the first wave of baby boomers begin turning 65 this year.
"Dementia has overtaken cancer as the most feared disease by adults," Desai said. But even adults with healthy brains will lose cognitive function as they age. And while you can't stop those losses altogether, studies have shown that you can slow their progress and even create new brain connections with lifestyle changes. Research has also shown that there are ways to delay the onset of Alzheimer's and slow its progress. Over the course of four visits, Desai and Feldmann came up with a plan to preserve her brain health as long as possible, whether she's predisposed to the disease or not. The plan includes studying new topics such as King Henry VIII and the Bible, walking 30 minutes a day and scheduling her time so that she's constantly busy. She's also switched to a low-glycemic diet, which keeps insulin levels in check. Too much insulin appears to have a direct negative effect on the brain. Feldmann will return to the center once a year to see if her brain functions at the same level as her baseline test last year. Brain function decreases in terms of speed and paying attention as we age, and it's due partly to genetics and partly to lifestyle, Desai said. "After about age 30, we stop learning new things like we did continuously in school and college. We're also not as physically active. Our nutritional habits also influence our brain and those things accelerate the changes in the brain caused by genetics."
Not All BadHe stresses that aging is not all bad. Brain connections increase in richness and complexity after age 30, which allow us to tolerate and deal with stress better. "Our ability to make sense of experiences and put them in context improves," Desai said. He recommends ways to create new connections while preserving established ones. Intellectual stimulation -- It's the most important thing you can do, Desai said. The brain has the capacity to change and improve even into our 70s and 80s. But it needs mental and intellectual stimulation to do so. "We're not talking about reading, which maintains existing connections," Desai said. "We're talking about new learning, which develops new connections and even new brain cells." Forget crossword puzzles or Sudoku, he added. Take up a new musical instrument, enroll in college courses or work a part-time job in an area that's new and different. Exercise -- The brain responds to physical activity very efficiently so sedentary people see quick results, Desai said. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's and stroke down the road. He suggests getting outdoors to exercise, because it requires you to pay closer attention to your surroundings which engages more parts of the brain. Nutrition -- What you eat also effects the brain though not as rapidly as new learning and exercise, Desai said. Antioxidants, for instance, protect brain cells from dying. He recommends eating five to six servings of fruits and vegetables a day and consuming Omega 3 fatty acids three times a week, in the form of supplements or oily fish, such as salmon and tuna. A low glycemic index diet keeps blood sugar levels, and thus insulin, in check.
Social interaction -- Experts are not sure why, but socially active people run a lower risk of strokes, Alzheimer's and other dementia. "You're talking, you're using language to discuss complex issues such as politics and health care," Desai said. "It's a use-it-or-lose-it kind of thing. Or maybe the social support neutralizes stress. Chronic stress has negative effects on the brain." He asks his patients to list the most important people in their lives, then encourages them to engage with those people more often. Learn new dance steps or how to juggle -- Not only will you get exercise but such activities require several parts of the brain to function at once, creating new brain synapses and connections. Exercises that require balance, such as dancing or riding a bicycle, improve parts of the inner ear that help control equilibrium. Get good quality sleep and lots of it -- It helps the brain file what we've learned each day into our long-term memory.Here are some related articles...Age Well With Mind PowerHow to Slow the Aging Process
