Dementia Accelerated By High Mental Activity

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CHICAGO (GaeaTimes.com)- After conducting a thorough study, researchers in United States have found out that staying mentally active might delay the onset of dementia initially but at a later stage it speeds up the progression of the disease. The research was carried out by scientists of the Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center and the findings of the study was published in the online edition of Neurology which happens to be the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

While conducting the research which spanned across 12 years, the scientists took a closer look at the mental activities of as many as 1,157 individuals aged 65 or above who did not suffer from dementia when the study was started. During the research, the participants scored points on the basis of how frequently they indulged in mental activities which included watching television, playing games, listening to radio, among others. Over the course of the study, the researchers reached the conclusion that in people without cognitive impairment, the rate of cognitive decline plummeted by 52 per cent for every point on the scale of brain activity. At the same time, for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the average rate of fall every year escalated by 42 per cent for each point on the brain activity scale.

Dr. Robert Wilson who was one of the lead authors of the study revealed that high mental activity delayed the onset of dementia keeping at bay the symptoms of the ailments. However, if the person indeed develops dementia at a later stage, it shows rapid progression in those who have been more mentally active in their lives.