Activities That Support and Improve Cognitive Function

Photo by Yan Krukau: https://www.pexels.com/photo/elderly-couple-playing-chess-6817700/

“Use it or lose it,” is a phrase that gets applied in a number of situations, but nowhere is it more true than with cognitive function.

While loss of memory, slowing of thought, “brain fog” and other impairments of brain function are often thought of as “old people” problems, a big factor in mental function in our later years is how much we’ve used and challenged our brains throughout life, starting in childhood. The good news is that brain function can be maintained and even improved at almost any age. As with maintaining good physical health, the key is activity and “exercise” for the brain.

Generally, those who engage in challenging brain activity, everything from studying languages to doing neurologically complex physical exercise, maintain good cognitive function well into old age. But the converse is definitely true – those who stop engaging in mental and neurological challenges, definitely fare worse as they age (and this can happen even in people who aren’t really that old).

Research indicates that those who retire at a younger age tend to suffer more cognitive decline sooner. Of course there are sometimes confounding factors, such as someone retiring early due to health problems, but as a general rule, working seems to have a protective effect against cognitive decline.

Work that provides ongoing mental challenges and so-called “open skills,” meaning activities that change and require adaptation (such as the work of a doctor or an accountant) seem to be more protective of cognitive function than “closed skills” or repetitive tasks (such as that of an assembly line worker).

In any event, most experts recommend that if and when you retire, you replace work with other activities that will challenge your mind.

Almost any mental activity is helpful to an extent, but more complex and diverse mental challenges tend to provide greater overall benefits to cognitive function than those that require a particular specific skill. So, something like crossword puzzles and sudoku will keep the mind somewhat active, but the benefits are more specialized – vocabulary skills with crosswords and mathematic skills with sudoku.

Video games, especially more complex 3D games seem to benefit mental function, as do any activities requiring adaptation and reactivity. Chess, for instance, requires memory of the movements of different pieces and complex strategy, as well as being able to anticipate and react to your opponent’s moves.

BrainHQ and other websites provide a variety of games and other activities that vary from session to session, and research has shown them to improve mental skills and functioning. While the games may start off easy and simple, they become more difficult as you go. The games are also adaptive to vary the difficulty depending on your performance so that you are continually challenged - but not to the point of becoming overwhelmed and frustrated. Such sites also allow you to select the areas of weakness you want to focus on so that the games will be more suited to your needs – for instance, perhaps you want to work on your memory versus mental speed.

The benefits of complexity and complication holds true for physical exercise that is more neurologically challenging as well. Hiking on a natural trail with uneven surfaces and changes in elevation provides more neurological stimulation than walking on a treadmill or paved track. Ballroom dancing provides greater challenges than something like a set yoga routine. Physical exercise in general helps one resist the effects of aging, including cognitive decline, but more complex activity has a greater protective effect on brain function.

Social interaction also provides a measure of complex neurological function, and this is an areas where older individuals are often lacking. This too is an area where working for a living helps one to maintain function, because of ongoing interaction with co-workers, customers, etc..

Likewise, learning a new language is both more effective and probably more cognitively beneficial when one practices that language with other people, as opposed to just reading a textbook or taking online lessons on vocabulary and grammar. The variability and unpredictability of actual conversation provides much greater challenges than simply memorizing words and phrases.

Although KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid, can be good advice in many circumstances, when it comes to maintaining or improving cognitive function, complicated is actually a good thing!

Until next time…

George Best, D.C.