Want to stay cognitively healthy into old age? A study examined over 2000 older adults (age 65+), and studied the relationship between voluntary lifestyle factors and cognitive function.
Lifestyle factors associated with better cognitive function in old age included:
- A healthy diet
- More physical activity
- Socially and mentally stimulating activities
- Light to moderate alcohol consumption
A new twist on the research was that they also found evidence that lifestyle factors have an effect via "cognitive reserve"—the ability of the brain to optimize performance by recruiting new brain networks or changing strategy, and making it more resilient to the cognitive decline that naturally comes with old age. In other words, a healthy lifestyle may not necessarily prevent your brain from functioning less effectively, but it can allow your brain to work around damage by changing its approach to cognitive tasks.
Completing Creyos (formerly Cambridge Brain Sciences) cognitive tasks over months and years can help people measure results like these long-term. Healthcare providers can use Creyos Health to track the cognitive ability (and overall brain health) of their patients as they age.