A new Canadian study suggests that simple brain training exercises can help older adults slow down memory loss, even years after the training.
The research, led by scientists at Université de Montréal, shows that just eight weeks of cognitive training had lasting benefits for seniors at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, with improvements still visible five years later.
The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, followed 145 seniors with mild cognitive impairment from memory clinics in Montreal and Quebec City.
The participants took part in cognitive training known as MEMO+, where they learned memory strategies, such as how to better remember names, tasks, and lists, and how to focus their attention.
The training sessions lasted for two hours each week over an eight-week period.
Remarkably, the seniors who received this training not only improved their memory but also showed no signs of further cognitive decline five years later.
In contrast, those who did not receive the training, or who only participated in sessions aimed at improving general psychological well-being, showed a decline in their memory abilities.
“This study shows the long-term benefits of early cognitive intervention for people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sylvie Belleville, lead author and neuropsychology professor at Université de Montréal.
“Five years later, we still observed that memory had not declined in the group that received training, while there was a decline in the untreated group.”
Belleville added that this non-drug intervention can significantly improve the lives of older adults.
The training is cost-effective, simple to implement, and could help prevent or delay cognitive decline in seniors who are at risk of developing dementia.
The study highlights the potential of cognitive training as a preventive approach to reduce cognitive decline and possibly delay the onset of dementia. “These results are promising,” said Belleville, “because they show that a relatively brief and simple intervention can have long-lasting effects.”
With Alzheimer’s disease and dementia affecting millions of people worldwide, this study offers hope that non-pharmacological methods like cognitive training could play a key role in improving the quality of life for older adults facing memory challenges.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that eating apples and tea could keep dementia at bay, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
For more health information, please see recent studies what you eat together may affect your dementia risk, and time-restricted eating: a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
Source: University of Montreal.
