Why Do Some Brains Compensate As They Age?

Physical exercise and a lifestyle with "brain exercise" have been shown in studies to make a difference in avoiding memory decline as people age. There is an article titled "Doctors Discuss Theories on Aging Brains" by Lauren Neergaard in U.S. News and World Report, dated Oct. 15. It says "some senior's brains forge new pathways" as they age. This means that as aging causes memory decline, some people's brains compensate. When old pathways disintegrate. the brain creates new pathways in some people.

The article describes how in a healthy brain the "branch like tentacles" that extend from brain cells are like a thick bush. In a less healthy brain the branches are like twigs on a sparser bush. Fewer "twigs" means it is more difficult to connect and send messages.

Learning causes more of the tentacles, or twigs, to form.

In some older people if a path no longer works in the brain, the path is "rerouted" and messages take another path. Some older people also have "bushy" brains full of lots of tentacles, like twigs. If they lose some there are still plenty left.

Scientists are trying to figure out what causes some people to have brains that reroute or create new pathways.

The article said that people with challenging mental stimulation do better than "couch potatoes."
Tests showed that when older people had physical exercise their brains started showing patterns that looked more like younger people.

Exercising physically and exercising the brain make a difference. Crossword puzzles, computer brain training programs, and anything that avoids the "couch potato" lifestyle help people to avoid memory decline.

A summary of recent articles I've read would say keep on learning, don't be a couch potato, and exercise regularly. Live a healthy lifestyle in terms of nutrition, stress reduction, and rest. Have an active social life, avoiding isolation. These factors have been recommended in many articles on aging.

Landmark Self-Help Book "Living With Progressive Memory Loss"

A new type of book about dementia is the self-help book "A Personal Guide to Living With Progressive Memory Loss" written by two gerontological nurses, Sandy Burgener and Prudence Twigg. Because this book is a self-help book, it's different from other books about memory loss. There is information to help people with memory loss regarding communication, self-esteem, and overcoming the stigma of memory loss.

The book is recommended by top experts including Linda L. Buettner, Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Alzheimer's Association Early Stage Task Force. Linda says this book is "a landmark self-help book that focuses on the needs of the person with the diagnosis."

It was also recommended by John Keady, Ph.D., RMN, Professor of Older People's Mental Health Nursing at The University of Manchester/Bolton and Trafford Mental Health NHS Trust, and Co-Editor of Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice. He said this book "empowers people living with dementia, signposting hope, choice, and a life to be lived."

Stories of real people who have coped with the challenges of progressive memory loss are included in the book. Good and bad ways of coping are discussed and illustrated with examples. The experience of living with memory loss is described, and the authors recommend "staying active and engaged in society."

Caregivers experience the ways that progressive memory loss effects every part of a senior's life, including activities and relationships. It's interesting that once again the eldercare experts are recommending that people stay active and engaged in society. Becoming passive, withdrawing from people, and sharing fewer activities with others is something that caregivers see frequently with elderly seniors who have memory loss.

Enabling seniors with memory loss to participate in group activities at a senior center, senior day care, family activities, senior classes, and senior clubs can help them to stay active and connected socially.

Arts and crafts groups, bingo, healthcare classes, and clubs such as woodcarving are available at our local senior center. Many of the activities are fun for everyone, and having some memory loss will not interfere with participating.

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Dementia Risk

You can have a lower risk of dementia from Alzheimer's if you like the following foods: fruit, vegetables, cereal, nuts, olive oil, pasta, rice and moderate amounts of red wine. These foods are part of the Mediterranean Diet, which includes very little meat. An article at BBC News titled "Med Diet Reduces Dementia Risk" explains that researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center studied the health of 2,200 people over a period of 4 years.

People who ate foods more often from the Mediterranean Diet had the lowest risk of developing Alzheimer's. The scientists concluded that a healthy diet can reduce risk by as much as 40%.

The researchers said that when lifestyle includes getting cholesterol and blood pressure checked, exercising, and controlling weight then risk of dementia later in life is reduced further.

The Mediterranean Diet is also discussed at the Mayo Clinic website. Greeks traditionally consume a lot of fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice. Bread is eaten there without butter or margarine, and so the diet is low in saturated fat and trans fat. They also consume fish regularly and the omega-3 helps to keep blood vessels healthy.

In summary, eating a Mediterranean Diet, getting blood pressure and cholesterol checked, exercising, and controlling weight will help to reduce your risk of having dementia from Alzheimer's. It's also heart healthy, and a good way to avoid strokes.

The Mediterranean Diet has been recommended for decades already for its heart healthy characteristics, and since cooking is one of my hobbies I've been reading recipes on it for a long time. I've been using olive oil on bread with tomatoes and herbs, and this is delicious. Good-by to the butter and margarine. Whole grain pasta and brown rice have been around for a long time, but many people are simply not used to these foods or open to change.

I've even used brown rice in a rice pudding, and it was great. Whole grain pasta can be mixed with vegetables or sauces and this too tastes wonderful. Some of my elderly seniors are not used to using whole grain foods, but after I let them have a sample they decide they like it.

In regards to the other suggestions, many people buy a blood pressure monitor at the drug store now and take readings regularly at home in addition to the readings at the doctor's office to be sure there isn't a problem.

Exercise and weight loss - the sign of our times. It's difficult sometimes for seniors to exercise, but physical therapists can design programs to meet their needs. Weight loss might be easier on a Mediterranean Diet because the fattening junk foods would be eliminated.

Study Shows Senors Often Remember Distant Past Better Than Recent Past

I just started a new blog called "Life Story Telling" about writing life histories. With this in mind, an article at PsychArticles Direct about Autobiographical Memory that I read today about seniors was especially interesting because it says seniors can "travel back in time to relive personal events in the most distant past better than those in the recent past." As a caregiver who assists many different people, I often see people in their 80's and 90's who might remember the time they moved to a new home as a teen-ager, but not remember events from last week.

The authors studied the effects of aging on autobiographical memory on 180 people. The nature of memories over five lifetime periods were studied. The study was originally published in "Psychology and Aging."

Family members and caregivers reminiscing with elderly seniors might try using photos, historical events, scrapboooks, family photo albums and other memory grabbers. If an elderly senior cannot remember events from a few days ago, memories from early in life might still be available for retrieval.

Organizing the life history and family history chronologically in albums or a life story can help preserve the memories by providing triggers.

When I've assisted people who had Alzheimer's or Dementia I brought out their photo albums and scrapbooks for us to look at when we had time for activities. Each person is very different and memory ability seems to change from moment to moment sometimes. However, even with some people in late stage Alzheimer's they still recognized things part of the time from the albums.

Memory Improvement Steps at newscientist.com

You can read about ways to improve memory at newscientist.com. Did you know that in a 2003 study kids who ate a junk food breakfast performed on tests with reduced memory and attention? Lifestyle habits, studies of memory, and techniques to improve memory that caregivers and seniors might find interesting can be found at newscientist.com under 11 Steps to a Better Brain. The way memory works, what triggers memories, and the steps to improvement are topics covered by the writers.

The article discusses the Mozart and memory connection, and how listening to background music makes people feel relaxed and stimulated so they may perform better in memory activities.

A good night's sleep was also found to improve memory, and exercise improves mental functioning, such as learning, concentration and reasoning. Being able to pay attention and cut out distractions was also among the memory tips.

To read the entire article go to newscientist.com.