In recent years, numerous studies have shown that maintain our body and our moving mind allowed us to fight cognitive decline. A new study published in the journal Neurology confirms the interest of this stimulation to ward off the aging of the brain, but it also shows that it is not enough to ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic (USA) worked with 393 people over the age of 70, including 53 people with mild cognitive impairment. All received weekly questionnaires to assess their level of physical and mental activity. The researchers measured a number of parameters specific to Alzheimer’s disease such as amyloid plaques, the volume of the hippocampus or the presence or absence of a known genetic factor (the APOE 4 protein).
They noticed, at the end of the tests, that “For the group as a whole, physical or mental activity has minimal effect on amyloid plaques, glucose metabolism or hippocampal volume.” In summary, Alzheimer’s disease seems to follow its own rules, which are different from those of other forms of cognitive decline.
However, experts recognize that intellectual stimulation is never harmful and can increase feelings of well-being.
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