I’ve been reading a lot of articles in the past couple of years supporting mental exercises to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. However, today I came across a study which states that physical exercise is also beneficial to delay onset of dementia, which is a main component of the Alzheimer’s disease.
In this study, which examined mice with early-stage Huntington’s disease, researchers attempted to delay the progression of dementia through providing more mentally and physically stimulating environments. According to the study, the mice with these enhanced environments performed better on memory tests then than those mice that were provided less stimulating environments.
While this study was conducted with mice as opposed to human subjects, these results support the fact that further research in this area is crucial toward delaying dementia in humans. This study is especially important since a lot of nursing homes and assisted living facilities that house Alzheimer’s patients still do not have a dynamic physically and mentally stimulating environment.
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Links to This Article
Mentally and Physically stimulating environments delay dementia by medTRIALS.info (2/24/2008)
From Psych Central's World of Psychology:
Over 60 and over mall walking? - World of Psychology (3/9/2008)
One Comment to
“Mentally and Physically stimulating environments delay dementia”
You state in your article “dmentia is a main component of Alzheimers disease”. Dementia is a unbrella term for a host of “illnesses” that share common signs and symptoms. Alzhiemers is one, vascular dementia, picks disease, Wernickes are some others to name a few. Your statement makes little sense.
Also I fine the term you use, house “facilities that house Alzheimers patients”. Disrepectful, you are correct in stating that care homes often lack in the provision of stimutlating activities. However people with Alzheimers disease and other related dementias “live” in these homes.
Further more yes mental and physical activity can delay the onset of dementia. There is also a plethora of evidence to support the benefits of Social activity and healty eating with delaying the onset of dementia.
“whats good for the body is good for the mind”
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 24 Feb 2008
