UCL Study in Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
University research study validates cognitive therapy program to improve memory, cognitive function and quality of life for dementia patients
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While Cognitive Retention Therapy (CRT)™ is a new program, the idea is not. There are many news articles, and studies that have been done and are continually published about the “use it or lose it” theory.
Articles
April 2006
Cognitive Impairment Common in Seniors: Increases with Age, Lack of Education
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that mild cognitive impairment, a disorder considered a strong early predictor of Alzheimer's disease...
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March 2006
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Delayed for Years by Stigma and Denial
National survey finds longest delays when fear manifested in caregiver...
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February 2006
10 Most Common Health Care Mistakes of Seniors
Driving when it's no longer safe and fighting the aging process...
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February 2006
Brain Fitness.Exercising Your Mind
It's long been assumed that memory loss, slower thinking and eventual dementia are the natural results of aging...
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January 2006
Retraining the Brain
"Everybody thinks that the answers to the ills of humankind lie with pharmacology, gene therapy or stem cells..."
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January 2006
Blood Flow in Brain Takes a Twist, Affecting Views of Alzheimer's
Are astrocytes going wild starving neurons from oxygen...
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January 2006
Obesity linked to Alzheimer's disease protein
As body fat increases, so do blood levels of a protein fragment linked to Alzheimer's disease...
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December 2005
Brain Cell Activity Increases Levels of Key Ingredient in Alzheimer's Plaques
Cognitive idleness is not good from the perspective of Alzheimer's risk...
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December 2005
Scientists Make Important Step in Detecting Alzheimer's Very Early
As with all diseases, if Alzheimer's can be detected early there is a better chance of delaying its damage...
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November 2005
Alzheimer's Disease May Begin with Lapses in Attention
People in early stages of Alzheimer's disease have greater difficulty shifting attention back and forth...
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October 2005
Evidence Growing that Alzheimer's Risk Greatly Diminished by Exercise
A new study adds to the growing evidence that exercise is beneficial in preventing Alzheimer's...
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On July 11, 2005 The Globe and Mail, a Canadian National newspaper, there was a half page article about Brain work urged to cut Alzhemer’s risk.
Scientific American Mind magazine in July had a piece about the same thing and refers to studies that have been conducted. They say that for a decade, neurologists have produced studies that suggest that adults who regularly challenge their brains in later life succumb to dementia less often, less severely and at older ages than seniors who are intellectually apathetic. They say the mature brain can grow new neural connections and strengthen weak ones, if exercised. As with muscles, “use it or lose it” applies. Among other things they talk about stimulating the brain early on to protect against dementia, but if you are already past that stage, the experts say that you should start challenging the brain now.
Other studies say:
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“A systematic program of cognitive rehabilitation can result in maintained improvement in performance on specific cognitive and functional tasks in mildly impaired Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients.” (Lowenstein 2004)
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“In healthy elderly, an increased participation in common mental activity was associated with reduced decline in global cognition and reduced risk of AD.” (Wilson 2002)
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“Learning certain memory strategies improved short term memory in mild AD patients. (Alvia, 2002) and healthy elderly” (Valenzuela, 2002; Ball,2002)
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“With dementia/AD patients, playing bingo, cognitive training therapies, and psycho-education help improve memory cognition and daily functioning.” (Sobel 2001; Ballarini, 2002; Emerson, 2002)
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A prospective cohort study known as the Bronx Aging Study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that “Cognitive activities reduce the risk of AD. Specifically, the cohort study which included 469 people age 75 and older, found after adjusting for sex, age, educational level, other medical illnesses and baseline cognitive status, that certain leisure activities were associated with reduced risk of having dementia an average of 5 years later; these include reading; board games, musical instruments, and dancing.” (Verghyese et al, June 2003)
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The adult brain can generate new neurons throughout life in mammalian species including humans.” (Van-Praag, Kempermann and Gage, Nature, 2000; Eriksson and Gage, 1998 Nature)
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“Learning stimulates an increase of new brain cells (Gould, Gross, 1998) & learning promotes neural strength and new neural connections” (Gould 1999; Shors, 2001; Van-Praag, 2002)
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“An Enriched Environment enhances dendritic growth and branching” (Van-Praag 2000)
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“The brains ability to adapt helps explain how some people can delay the onset if AD symptoms for years.” (Golden,1994)
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“Neural strength and connections appear to compensate for cell damage from disease.” (Stein, 1995)