A new study suggests that older people who are at risk of dementia should engage in brain training, exercise and eating a healthy diet to delay mental decline in the future. It is said to slow down cognitive decline specifically their ability to organize thought and brain processes.
Researchers from Finland conducted the first randomized controlled trial of its kind and they found out those two years of strict and intensive guidance over older adults aged 60 to 77 has shown dramatic results in the differences of their brain's capabilities.
The study was published in the journal Lancet. Professor Miia Kivipelto from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, and University of Eastern Finland conducted the Finnish Geriatric Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) study in 1,260 participants across Finland.
Despite previous researchers showing links between cognitive decline and some factors like diet and fitness, this is the first study to use a gold-standard design of a control and a treatment group. All participants were deemed at risk for dementia based on a standardized assessment tool.
Cognitive decline in older adults are commonly associated with dementia particularly Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease accounts to 5 million Americans living with the disease and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Meanwhile, according to Alzheimer's Disease International, cases of Alzheimer's are expected to triple worldwide by 2050.
The participants under the treatment group were given regular gym sessions with physiotherapists at least once to three times a week and they even engaged in aerobic classes from two to five times a week. They also underwent brain training through computer programs such as games. Lastly, they were asked to practice the Nordic diet which contains fish at last twice a week, fruits and vegetables and olive oil.
The findings revealed that in the treatment group, their scores were 25% higher than those from the control group.
Professor Kivipelto, explains that "An intensive program aimed at addressing these risk factors might be able to prevent cognitive decline in elderly people who are at risk of dementia."