United States: A new study has claimed that the kind of brain training that focuses on memory loss can delay the further rise of symptoms related to Alzheimer’s disease for several years, as reported by HealthDay.
The brain training, based on memory and problem-solving exercises, helped seniors keep their mental skills from deteriorating as fast as younger persons who did not complete the course, pointed out the researchers.
Sustained Benefits
After the seniors had completed brain training, this benefit was evident five years later, according to the research findings.
“These results are important because this kind of intervention is non-pharmacological — there are no drugs involved — and can have a greater impact on the lives of those affected,” lead researcher Sylvie Belleville of the University of Montreal.
Study Methodology
In the present work, participants were included based on the seniors attending memory clinics in Montreal and Quebec City between the years 2012 and 2015, and 145 seniors with MCI were enrolled.
Consequently, a third of the seniors were randomly selected for memory training strategies. These included studying various activities, including naming individuals, recalling items or activities, and concentrating to enhance memory.
Another third sought general improvement in psychological functioning, which could include anger management and problem-solving. The last third of the subjects received no training at all.
Preventive Potential for Cognitive Decline
The initial results “showed that early intervention can improve cognitive function in people at risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease,” Belleville said in a university news release. “We had also observed cerebral changes showing these people had compensated mentally for their memory loss.”
Using the data from the research team, Belleville pointed out that they “still observed that the benefits on memory and that a measure of dementia had not changed at all in the treated group, whereas there was a decline in the untreated group.”
Participants with memory training exhibited lesser memory decline and indicated better cognitive ability in screening test results.
The findings “underscore the potential of cognitive training as a preventive approach for cognitively vulnerable older adults, reducing cognitive decline and potentially delaying the onset of dementia,” the study concluded, as reported by HealthDay.
“Furthermore, it is noteworthy that these enduring effects were achieved through a relatively brief, cost-effective intervention that can be readily implemented as a preventive measure for at-risk individuals,” researchers added.