Mayo Clinic Minute: Do Active Minds Delay Alzheimer's?

Mayo Clinic Minute: Do Active Minds Delay Alzheimer’s?

By
Vivien Williams

March 7, 2016

older person sitting with a cane

Brain games, puzzles, reading and crafts. Do activities that keep your mind active help ward off symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? A study in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology suggests they might. Mayo Clinic dementia researcher Dr. Prashanthi Vemuri and colleagues studied people who are highly educated and carriers of a gene linked to Alzheimer's called called APOE4. The researchers found those who stayed mentally active in midlife had lower levels of amyloid deposits in their brains than those who didn't stay mentally active. Amyloid deposits are a hallmark sign of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers say staying mentally active doesn't stop the disease, but it may delay symptoms. Reporter Vivien Williams has more.