Via American Academy of Neurology:

People who participate in arts and craft activities and who socialize in middle and old age may delay the development in very old age of the thinking and memory problems that often lead to dementia, according to a new study published in the April 8, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. 

Study author Rosebud Roberts, MB, ChB, says, “As millions of older US adults are reaching the age where they may experience these memory and thinking problem called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), it is important we look to find lifestyle changes that may stave off the condition. Our study supports the idea that engaging the mind may protect neurons, or the building blocks of the brain, from dying, stimulate growth of new neurons, or may help recruit new neurons to maintain cognitive activities in old age.”

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The study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark last week was designed to evaluate the effects of widowhood in people with mild cognitive impairment - a precursor of dementia.  The thinking had been that widowhood would accelerate the development of dementia in people with MCI but the study showed the opposite.

Mayo Clinic researchers used data on more than 3,500 people from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database, which compiles information collected at various Alzheimer’s disease Centers in the U.S. The researchers found that of the 1,078 subjects who developed dementia, people who remained married developed dementia at a younger age than those who were widowed (83 years old versus 92 years).

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“We feel that this finding may point to an important issue – namely that elderly spouses who are the primary caregivers for their partners with MCI may not be getting enough support for that caregiver role,” says Bryan Woodruff, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and lead investigator of the study. “We theorize that more robust support is mobilized by family members and community organizations for elderly people with MCI who lose their spouse.”

Dr. Woodruff says that the study suggests that in addition to the well-known negative impact of caregiver stress on the spouse without cognitive difficulties, there may be similar negative consequences on a spouse with cognitive impairment.  Earlier implementation of more robust support for caregivers, such as respite and other programs available through the Alzheimer’s Association and similar organizations may mitigate such negative consequences, he says.

Because of the findings more research is needed to pinpoint reasons for the delay in dementia, Dr. Woodruff says.

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Bottom Line:  A diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older adults was associated with increased risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), especially MCI of skills other than memory, and the greatest risk was among patients who had COPD for more than five years. The study is published in JAMA Neurology.

Authors:  Balwinder Singh, M.D., M.S., and Michelle Mielke, Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and colleagues.

Background: COPD is an irreversible limitation of airflow into the lungs, usually caused by smoking. More than 13.5 million adults 25 years or older in the U.S. have COPD. Previous research has suggested COPD is associated with cognitive impairment.

How the Study Was Conducted: The authors examined the association between COPD and MCI, as well as the duration of MCI, in 1,425 individuals (ages 70 to 89 years) with normal cognition in 2004 from Olmsted County, Minn. At baseline, 171 patients had a COPD diagnosis.

Results: Of the 1,425 patients, 370 developed MCI: 230 had amnestic MCI (A-MCI, which affects memory), 97 had nonamnestic MCI (NA-MCI), 27 had MCI of an unknown type and 16 had progressed from normal cognition to dementia. A diagnosis of COPD increased the risk for NA-MCI by a relative 83 percent during a median of 5.1 years of follow-up. Patients who had COPD for more than five years had the greatest risk for MCI.

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To listen, click the link below.

MCI and Heart Disease

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First author of the Mayo Clinic study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings Balwinder Singh, M.D., says, “COPD is reversible in early stages, especially in smokers. These findings are important because they highlight the importance of COPD as a potential risk factor for MCI and will hopefully lead to early intervention to prevent incidence or progression of MCI.”

Mayo Clinic researchers looked at about 2,000 people 70-89 year olds in the Mayo Clinic Study on Aging.

Click here for news release.

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ANSWER: Perhaps one of the most feared conditions associated with aging is dementia — an impaired ability to think or recall. The most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease. Aging also may be associated with lesser — but still disruptive — thinking and memory problems, which is called mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment is a common precursor to Alzheimer’s. 

Researchers, doctors, drug and biotech companies, and medical institutions worldwide are urgently seeking to better understand the intricacies of brain function — and particularly to develop therapies to prevent or treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. 

But despite this substantial effort, no drug or therapy can beat the powerful effect that regular physical exercise has in preventing Alzheimer’s and improving brain function — even in those with Alzheimer’s. 

One Mayo Clinic study showed that those who regularly engaged in moderate exercise five or six times a week in later life reduced their risk of mild cognitive impairment by 32 percent compared with more sedentary people. Those who began exercising at midlife saw a 39 percent reduction in the risk of mild cognitive impairment. 

Numerous other studies have come to similar conclusions. In one study, the effect of exercise on those with memory problems was about as good as the documented benefit of donepezil (Aricept), a drug that can modestly and temporarily improve symptoms of mild cognitive decline. 

It’s not entirely clear how exercise protects the brain from Alzheimer’s, but research has pointed to several important possibilities. 

One reason may be increased brain volume and possibly the creation of new brain cells. Gray matter makes up the bulk of brain tissue and is the location of many important brain functions, including memory. Gray matter decreases in volume with age. In addition, an area of gray matter in the brain called the hippocampus — which is crucial for memory — progressively deteriorates in those with Alzheimer’s. 

Exercise appears to preserve gray matter, the benefits of which have been directly documented with brain imaging. In one study of older adults, significant enlargement of the hippocampus was observed in those who did moderately intense exercise over the course of one year when compared with people who did only basic stretching and toning for one year. Moreover, this increased hippocampus volume was associated with improved cognition. 

Limited laboratory evidence also suggests the possibility that new brain cells can be created within the critical parts of the hippocampus. Increased blood volume — suggestive of greater biological activity — has been observed in parts of the hippocampus in individuals who are physically fit. This indicates that exercise may have the potential to slow the decline of Alzheimer’s. 

Another possible explanation for how exercise can help ward off dementia is the improvement in levels of brain connections of those who exercise regularly. Substances such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are like fertilizer for brain cells. They have been associated with a wide variety of biochemical changes in the brain consistent with making new brain connections. Levels of BDNF circulating in the blood are lower in those with Alzheimer’s than in those who don’t have the disease. BDNF levels appear to be increased by exercise. 

Improved blood vessel health also may protect the brain from dementia. Fitness is often a sign of good blood vessel health. That’s because fitness helps prevent — and is an effective therapy for — many conditions that contribute to damage and clogging of blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and undesirable cholesterol levels. 

Aging brain arteries are highly susceptible to narrowing and closure, especially the smallest of these arteries. The result of narrowing of small vessels can be seen on routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as white patches (leukoaraiosis) in the brain. Blockage of small brain arteries causes potentially unnoticeable “ministrokes” that damage tiny areas of the brain. Leukoaraiosis and blood vessel closure can cause or contribute to the development of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s. 

In people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s, regular exercise can have a major impact on health, as it can with anyone. Research has shown that people with Alzheimer’s who exercise have less risk of potentially life-threatening problems such as falls, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and other age-related problems. Depression and anxiety are common problems in both diseases, and exercise can significantly improve these conditions as well. — Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

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Click here for news release

Sound bites with Rosebud Roberts, M.B.,CH.B., are available in the downloads above.

Expert title for broadcast cg: Dr. Rosebud Roberts, Mayo Clinic Epidemiologist

The post Heart Disease Connection to Risk of Mental Impairment appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Read entire news release

Sound bites with study author Rosebud Roberts, M.B.,Ch.B., are available in the downloads.

Expert title for broadcast cg:Dr. Rosebud Roberts, Mayo Clinic Epidemiologist

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Mayo Clinic Neuropsychiatrist and study author, Yonas E. Geda, M.D., MSc, says, "as frequent computer use has becoming increasingly common among all age groups, it is important to examine how it relates to aging and dementia. This adds to the discussion.”

Expert title for broadcast cg: Dr. Yonas Geda, Mayo Clinic Neuropsychiatrist

Soundbites from Dr. Geda are available in the dowloads above.

Click here for entire news release.

 You think your computer has a lot of memory … if you keep using your computer you may, too.

Combining mentally stimulating activities, such as using a computer, with moderate exercise decreases your odds of having memory loss more than computer use or exercise alone, a Mayo Clinic study shows. Previous studies have shown that exercising your body and your mind will help your memory but the new study, published in the May 2012 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reports a synergistic interaction between computer activities and moderate exercise in “protecting” the brain function in people better than 70 years old.

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