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Baby Boomer Memory Loss Reduced By Computer Use

By on July 23, 2013
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Kathi Casey is The Healthy Boomer.

I recently read a cool study that looked at the combination of computer use and exercise reducing the risk of memory loss. Great news for all of us Boomers!

By now, we all know that exercising your body and your mind will help your memory, but a new study, published in the May 2012 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reports a synergistic interaction specifically between computer activities and moderate exercise in “protecting” the brain function in people age 70 and older.

Researchers interviewed over 900, 70 – 93 year olds, after they completed a questionnaire about how often they exercised and used a computer.

The term “moderate exercise” describes activities such as brisk walking, swimming, hiking, yoga, Pilates and doubles tennis.

You might be wondering why the researchers chose to use computer work as the mental activity for this study and the cool thing is that it was because so many people in this age group use them on a regular basis! So no more jokes about the two year old teaching Grandma how to use the mouse!

Lead researcher for this study, Dr. Yonas E. Geda, said that “The aging of baby boomers is projected to lead to dramatic increases in the prevalence of dementia. As frequent computer use has become increasingly common among all age groups, it is important to examine how it relates to aging and dementia.” What they found is that a combination of mental and physical stimulation reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment.

Dr. Geda’s study examined exercise, computer use and the relationship to neurological risks such as mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment is the intermediate stage between normal memory loss that comes with aging, and early Alzheimer’s disease. Of the study participants who did not exercise and did not use a computer, 20.1 percent were cognitively normal and 37.6 percent showed signs of mild cognitive impairment. Of the participants who both exercise and use a computer, 36 percent were cognitively normal and 18.3 percent showed signs of mild cognitive impairment.

I’m sure that this study will lead to more research on this topic, and I’ll keep you posted with the new findings as they are published. For now, I’m going to keep pounding away at the keys of this computer, reading and interacting with friends and family on Facebook, and practicing my morning exercise routine!

Best of Health,

Kathi

 

New pic for other uses April 2010 smaller for web siteKathi Casey, “The Healthy Boomer Body Expert” is a renowned health coach, Amazon bestselling author, popular speaker and radio show guest; has appeared on Fox 23, ABC-8 Evening News, and produces her own TV show, “To Your Health.” Casey is a columnist, founder of The Healthy Boomer Body Center, and much more. Get to know her more at www.HealthyBoomerBody.com

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