Author: Christie GJ1,2, Hamilton T1, Manor BD3, Farb NAS4, Farzan F1,5, Sixsmith A1,2,6, Temprado JJ7, Moreno S1,2,8
Affiliation:
1Digital Health Hub, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada.
2Science and Technology for Aging Research Institute, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada.
3Institute for Aging Research, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
4Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
5School of Mechatronics and Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada.
6Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
7Institut des Sciences du Mouvement, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
8School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada.
Conference/Journal: Front Aging Neurosci.
Date published: 2017 Nov 20
Other:
Volume ID: 9 , Pages: 381 , Special Notes: doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00381. eCollection 2017. , Word Count: 238
The number of patients suffering from dementia is expected to more than triple by the year 2040, and this represents a major challenge to publicly-funded healthcare systems throughout the world. One of the most effective prevention mechanisms against dementia lies in increasing brain- and cognitive-reserve capacity, which has been found to reduce the behavioral severity of dementia symptoms as neurological degeneration progresses. To date though, most of the factors known to enhance this reserve stem from largely immutable history factors, such as level of education and occupational attainment. Here, we review the potential for basic lifestyle activities, including physical exercise, meditation and musical experience, to contribute to reserve capacity and thus reduce the incidence of dementia in older adults. Relative to other therapies, these activities are low cost, are easily scalable and can be brought to market quickly and easily. Overall, although preliminary evidence is promising at the level of randomized control trials, the state of research on this topic remains underdeveloped. As a result, several important questions remain unanswered, including the amount of training required to receive any cognitive benefit from these activities and the extent to which this benefit continues following cessation. Future research directions are discussed for each lifestyle activity, as well as the potential for these and other lifestyle activities to serve as both a prophylactic and a therapeutic treatment for dementia.
KEYWORDS: aging; cognitive health; dementia; lifestyle factors; neuroplasticity
PMID: 29209201 PMCID: PMC5701915 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00381
