Written by Amanda Fang and edited by Mehr Bawa
Image by Vlada Karpovich
The process of aging is an inevitable part of life—a fountain of youth has yet to be discovered. During this process, dementia is a common concern. According to the CDC, dementia is an umbrella term that is used to describe an impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with everyday life [1]. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is a progressive disease that damages memory and thinking skills and accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Over time, many areas of the brain involved in memory, language, reasoning, and social behavior are destroyed by this disease [2]. The hippocampus, for example, is involved in learning and memory and AD causes its progressive atrophy, contributing to memory-related deficits in AD patients. As the neurodegeneration spreads to brain regions such as the frontal lobes, AD patients may struggle with completing more complex tasks such as dealing with finances and learning new skills [3]. Although there is currently no cure for AD, there are treatment options that may help slow down its progression and alleviate symptoms.
In Japan, neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima has focused on reversing the effects of aging on the brain. His research seeks to demonstrate how consistently doing simple cognitive exercises positively impacts brain aging. Dr. Kawashima and his team developed a training program where participants read aloud and practiced arithmetic calculations on a daily basis [4]. All participants had a clinical diagnosis of AD that met the criteria set by the American Psychiatric Association. They were recruited from a nursing home for the elderly and were randomly split into a control and experimental group, with 16 in each group. The training program sought to activate a region in the brain’s frontal lobes that is typically associated with executive functions such as working memory (i.e. short-term memory) and task switching [4].
After six months of this daily training program, participants in the experimental group showed improvements in verbal communication and stable cognitive ability, suggesting that cognitive rehabilitation is possible [4]. Those who did not receive the training had a slight decrease in frontal lobe function. Dr. Kawashima determined that this training program was an effective dementia care option and conducted further studies in different areas in Japan to validate his results, ultimately finding similar results [5]. The success of this intervention program and its widespread use in Japan illustrates the potential benefits of this daily brain training for AD patients and the elderly. Continuous stimulation of the brain has the ability to reverse the effects of aging on cognitive function.
From the results of Dr. Kawashima’s studies, future research can be conducted to estimate the longevity of the improvement observed and to see how exercise, nutrition, and social activities may help improve cognitive function in the elderly along with cognitive exercises [6]. Further research can also observe whether these results are reproducible in elderly populations around the world.
This study was inherently limited in its ability to discern whether the source of benefits was the cognitive training, the social interaction with the experimenters, or the increased attention by the nursing home staff. However, the promising effects of the study show that there is still merit in engaging with the community through cognitive exercises that aim to mitigate the effects of aging on the brain and improve quality of life. Aging may not be avoidable, but actions can be taken to modulate age-related changes.
References
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, April 5). What is dementia? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/index.html
[2] National Institute of Health. (2021, July 8). What is Alzheimer’s disease? National Institute on Aging. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-alzheimers-disease
[3] Alzheimer’s Society. (2021, February 1). Dementia symptoms and areas of the brain. Alzheimer’s Society. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/how-dementia-progresses/symptoms-brain
[4] Kawashima, R., Okita, K., Yamazaki, R., Tajima, N., Yoshida, H., Taira, M., Iwata, K., Sasaki, T., Maeyama, K., Usui, N., & Sugimoto, K. (2005). Reading aloud and arithmetic calculation improve frontal function of people with dementia. The Journals of Gerontology Series A, 60(3), 380–384. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/60.3.380
[5] Kawashima, R. (2013). Mental exercises for cognitive function: Clinical evidence. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 46(Suppl 1). https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.s.s22
[6] Tohoku University. (2016, August 22). Brain training turns back your cognitive clock. Tohoku University. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/research/research_highlights/research_highlight_22.html