Monmouth Ask The Doctor March-April 2019

A Summary of Brain Games for the Elderly By Katie Greene Whenever the topic of brain training games comes up, particularly to combat the onset of aging-related dementia, we like to point to this well-researched article. It contains a wealth of information, and a large list of games and activities that are truly beneficial in brain training. However, it is a rather lengthy read, so in this article we are going to summarize its’ more salient points. Brain Training Circumvents, Not Prevents, Dementia

A S W E A G E

It’s well known that there is no known cure for Alzhei- mer’s, but it is entirely possible that dementia symptoms can be circumvented. This is not the same as preven- tion - it is rather a method of redirecting information through your brain, so that information avoids travers- ing damaged neural pathways. Imagine your brain as a map of roads, forming bil- lions of intersections. What dementia does is damage the intersections, preventing information from flow- ing freely throughout the brain. This can affect your speech, memories, and job performance. While seniors were expected to retire by 65 in previous generations, modern lifespan has increased the work and retirement age. What brain training is believed to do is form new intersections (neural synapses), which information can take as alternative routes. As long as you are constantly training your brain and learning new information, you are forming new neural synapses. continued on pg. 15

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ASK THE DOCTOR

MARCH/APRIL 2019