Maintaining Your Brain

Although it’s generally believed that Polish neuroscientist JerzyKonorski coined the term “plasticity” in 1948 to describethe brain’s ability to experience permanent functional transformations,it wasn’t until the 1990s that the scientific community began acceptingthe implications of “neuroplasticity.”

The idea of the brain being able to change and adapt has always seemedlike good news for an aging population looking for ways to keep theirbrains in tip-top shape. Perhaps it’s the hope that it creates fora cure for Alzheimer’s or age-related cognitive decline. Or maybeit’s because the concept of neuroplasticity gives humans a senseof control; that what we do or don’t do affects our future health.

Regardless of the reason for our invested interest in neuroplasticity,there are some ways to harness its attributes.

• Exercise regularly. There’s mounting evidence that physical fitness is one of the bestgifts you can give your brain. Even light to moderate aerobic exerciseimproves oxygen consumption. Plus, aerobic exercise has been found toreduce cell loss in the elderly. If you’re obese, even losing afew pounds can improve your thinking skills.
• Feed your brain. Proper nutrition isn’t just for your waistline. Unhealthy foodscan create “brain fog,” while healthy foods—like salmon,sardines, nuts, avocados, and blueberries—can help keep your brain sharp.

Like many body organs, the brain operates best when blood glucose is stable.Lack of concentration and other mental lapses can readily occur when bloodglucose levels dip or surge. Ways to keep glucose stable include:

• Eating complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars
• Balancing carbohydrates by eating them with small amounts of protein, beneficialfats, and fiber
• Snacking throughout the day instead of consuming giant meals
• Eating breakfast

• Getquality sleep. While lack of sleep is an obvious detriment to attention and memory skills,poor sleepquality—caused by issues like sleep apnea—can cause more long-lastingcognitive problems.

The brain accomplishes a long list of tasks while you sleep, includingclearing out toxic molecules that build up during waking hours, transportingshort-term memories to long-term, and even making creative connections.

And while caffeine can provide a cognitive boost, no amount can rival thework your brain does while you sleep.

• Enroll in personal brain training. Unlike digital brain games, one-on-one brain training uses customizedexercises and incorporates immediate feedback, intensity, and loading,among other features, to target brain skills. And while tutoring is academics-based,personal brain training is skills-based. Tutoring does have its place:It can be effective when a student has fallen behind in specific subjects(such as history) due to an illness, injury, or family move. But cognitiveskills training targets the underlying skills—including attention,auditory processing, memory, logic & reasoning, processing speed,and visual processing—needed to perform tasks (like reading),. Whenthese skills are strong, it can help make learning easier inany subject.
• Get social. There’s mounting evidence that social interaction is good for maintainingthe brain into our later years.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, research shows that regularengagement in social activities helps maintain brain vitality. Socialactivities include emotional support, work, volunteering, travel, andparticipation in clubs.

A 2001 study* analyzing the impact of professionally conducted culturalprograms on adults over 65 found that opportunities to participate andattend ongoing cultural activities (singing, painting, and poetry reading,for example) had healthy and encouraging benefits, including:

* better overall health

* fewer visits to their physician

* rate of need for medication decreased

* fewer falls

* vision problems diminished

* a significant decrease on the Geriatric Depression Scale.

The general consensus? Maintain your friends, relationships, and activitiesand you’ll maintain your brain health.

• Learn something new. Forget the “old dog, new trick” adage. Studies show that evenin our senior years, learning a new language, skill, or hobby can helpkeep our brains active.

Your best bet may be a combination of the above. Thanks to our understandingof neuroplasticity, you may have more control over your brain’shealth than you think!