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There are many scientists, medical personnel and others trying to understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease, and trying to find ways to prevent it.

Learning To Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

One of the most notable long-term studies on Alzheimer’s disease has been in progress since 1986 and is funded by the National Institute on Aging. Giving rise to the project’s nickname of ‘The Nun Study”, the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, MN, are the subjects of the research. This research is a collaborative effort between the nuns there and the University of Kentucky, under the directorship of Dr. David Snowdon. Many scientists from other universities also participate in the study.

The focus of this study is to determine the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and figure out ways to prevent it. Each of the 678 participants agreed to participate in annual assessments of their cognitive and physical function to help achieve this. They also must have medical exams and blood drawn for genetic and nutritional studies. They have also agreed to donate their brains for neuropathological studies when they die.

The fact that the nuns are all non-smokers, drink little if any alcohol, have the same marital status and reproductive history, have lived in similar housing, held similar jobs, and had similar access to preventive and medical care, it makes them easier to study. Contending with subjects from various backgrounds and diverse environments, medical history and lifestyle makes most studies more difficult. These variables are missing with the nuns, making it easier to figure out results.

What They’ve Learned

Results of this research has already shown that traits in early, mid, and late life have strong relationships with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the mental and cognitive disabilities of old age. Bottom line, what does the research indicate YOU can do to prevent getting Alzheimer’s symptoms?

Mental Stimulation To Prevent Alzheimer’s Symptoms

A leading researcher on Alzheimer’s, Dr. Yaakov Stern, says, “Individuals who lead mentally stimulating lives, through education, occupation and leisure activities, have reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Studies suggest that they have 35-40% less risk of manifesting the disease. The pathology will still occur, but they are able to cope with it better. Some won’t ever be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s because they don’t present any symptoms.”

How To Build Your Cognitive Reserve (CR)

Tolerating progressive brain pathology without demonstrating clinical cognitive symptoms is called Cognitive Reserve. To put it a different way, Cognitive Reserve is how your brain resists any physical changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease so you don’t have any of the usual symptoms like memory loss.

Building your Cognitive Reserve, your reserve of neurons, synapses and skills, is the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease according to researchers. But how can we do that? After all, what exactly is a good “brain exercise” or challenging mental activity?

To work well for building CR, an activity must:

1. Engage your attention.
2. Involve more than one of your senses.
3. Break a routine activity in an unexpected way.

Learning a new language is one example of a good way to build your CR. Changing your environment by moving or traveling is another. Besides taking challenging classes, increased neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons) can be caused by an occupation that engages your mind, or even increased physical activity. And neurogenesis increases your Cognitive Reserve.

In fact, almost any challenging activity can contribute to building your CR. Some activities might have interpersonal demands. Some might make physical demands. Others may have challenging levels of cognitive complexity (thinking and learning). Keep challenging your brain:Build Your Cognitive Reserve with Brain Games.

Mental Activity Keeps Brains Healthy.

The more you use your brain, according to the research, the better it continues to work. Even if your brain shows full-blown physical symptoms of the disease, building up your Cognitive Reserve by learning and other challenging experiences increases your chances of never showing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Keep yourself challenged and prevent Alzheimer’s disease!