You may remember the saying "knowledge is power" from your school days. Maybe ramming your head with seemingly useless facts and statistics just to pass an exam is how you remember high school. Perhaps, you were more of a bookworm and enjoyed the chance to learn something new.
Memory and cognition levels later on in life
If you own a smartphone, you may already be well aware of how commonplace applications designed to improve memory and cognition have become. These can range from simple memory games to more elaborate problem-solving strategies, but the basis for this concept is all the same.
As the life of an average person progresses, the number of neurons in the brain is determined in the early years of our lives and will peak during our schooling years. Once we reach the age of around 20, however, these neurons will begin to die off as a side effect of aging. As we continue to age, neurons will die at a faster rate. If you are scholastic and frequently apply your brain to new disciplines, the rate of which these neurons die-off is believed to be dramatically reduced compared to the average person.
In one study done to determine how true this actually is, adults in their mid-20's were asked to download and use a popular application designed to stimulate brain development, Luminosity. This is a well-known application in the North American market and will typically be advertised on television sets, billboards and banner ads.
These participants were asked to play the game for 30 minutes for a period of three weeks, and the results were compared to those of participants who did not play this type of game. A general memory exam was then given to participants to determine which one would be more effective. What was found that even in these younger participants, there was a significant improvement in memory components like attention and motor speed.
Similar studies have been done in the past to determine if this trend is similar in an elderly population. In this group of participants, it does seem that even these types of applications can be beneficial. Memory and cognition were the sectors that seemed to benefit the most.
How memory activity is linked with Alzheimer's disease
Regardless of the type of activity that you like to enjoy, the most important take-home message is to remember to do something to make sure that you are stimulating your brain throughout your life.
Depositing yourself onto the couch after a long day of work to watch hours of television is not a habit to fall into on a daily basis. Studies indicate that the average person can spend over four hours a day watching television. This does not factor in the time you may be glued to your computer screens or to your smartphones.
Numerous studies have shown that there is a significant relationship between education levels and dementia. In one broad review of studies, it was found that 51 out of 71 articles reviewed confirmed that there was a relationship between lower educational levels and the risk of dementia.
A reason that can explain why this occurs is based on the physiology of the brain. The neurons in our brain are constantly being pruned so your body can be as effective as possible. This means that if you do not try to push yourself to constantly learn at a younger age, it will be much harder for you to learn and retain new information in the future. This is already a well-understood fact when it comes to learning a new language. It is much easier for children to pick up a new tongue compared to an adult because of how active their brain is wired. By making learning a priority in a child, with luck, it will become a habit for them in the future and brain activity will help protect against deterioration.
Applications and learning a new language are only some of the current techniques that the aging population is using to stave off Alzheimer's disease. I have only discussed a few of these techniques in this article but if there is something more entertaining for you, do that to stimulate your brain. After all, "if you don't use it, you lose it".
Alzheimer's is a disease that occurs when your brain loses too many neurons and as a result, it will not be able to function as effectively. If you were to start with a higher number of neurons in your earlier years because of constant learning, you will have a far greater number of functioning neurons compared to someone who did not make learning a priority in their youth.