People who participate in arts and crafts and who socialise in middle and old age are helping their brains to slow down memory problems that often lead to dementia.
A new US-based study published in Neurology, found that people who took part in arts in both middle and old age were 73% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who did not engage in such activities.
Dr Rosebud Roberts, of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, said this latest study supports the idea that engaging the mind could protect neurons and stimulate the growth of new neurons.
The latest research involved 256 people with an average age of 87, none of whom had memory or thinking problems at the start of the study.
They all reported their participation in arts, crafts, social activities, and computer activities.
After an average of four years, 121 people developed mild cognitive impairment and researchers found that participants who engaged in arts in both middle and old age were 73% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who did not report take part in art.
Those who took part in craft activities in middle and old age were 45% less likely to develop the condition, while those who socialised in middle and old age were 55% less likely to develop it than those who did not. Computer use was associated with a 53% reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment.
However, risk factors such as having the APOE gene, having high blood pressure in middle age, depression and risk factors related to blood vessels increased the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.
Neurology April 9 2015
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