Brain Training

It’s common knowledge that a proper exercise regimen can do wonders for the body. Only recently, however, have psychologists and gerontologists aggressively applied the same principle to the mind.
Among people who work with older adults, the concept of “cognitive fitness” has become a buzzword to describe activities that stimulate underutilized areas of the brain and improve memory. Proponents of brain-fitness exercises say such mental conditioning can help prevent or delay memory loss and the onset of other age-related cognitive disorders.
“Most people’s idea of fitness stops at the neck,” said Patti Celori, executive director of the New England Cognitive Center. “But the brain is the CPU of our body, and most people don’t do much to keep it as fit as possible.”
The NECC runs one of a growing number of programs that work with older adults to improve cognitive abilities. Activities include computer programs designed to stimulate specific areas of the brain, replication of geometric designs using boards with pegs and rubber bands, and visual and auditory memory exercises.
Some of the other programs are Maintain Your Brain, initiated a year ago by the Alzheimer’s Association and Mind Alert, run by the American Society on Aging.
For do-it-yourself types, a plethora of books have been published on getting the brain in shape; The Better Brain Book, by David Perlmutter and Carol Colman, and The Memory Bible by Gary Small.

One purpose of mental exercises is to reinforce the idea that “in aging, not everything is downhill,” said Elkhonon Goldberg, a Manhattan neuropsychologist and author of The Wisdom Paradox, which examines how some people grow wiser with age.
“There are gains that are subsequent and consequent to a lifelong history of mental activity and mental striving,” Goldberg said. He also believes brain exercises can benefit adults suffering from mild cognitive impairment, and he has developed computer puzzles designed to help them stimulate different areas of their brain.
It’s not clear how much targeted brain exercises can prevent the onset of cognitive disorders in older adults, but some findings indicate that high cognitive ability is tied to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
There is little downside in pursuing brain-stimulating activities , special-projects director at the American Society on Aging. Puzzles, spelling practice, memory exercises or book discussions don’t pose much harm.

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