Keeping Your Brain Young

Use it or lose it is good advice for brain health.Research at Rush University Medical Center and Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago shows that mental activities like reading and writing can preserve the structural integrity of your brain as you age.

The scientists found that staying engaged in mental activities promotes healthier nerve fibers (axons) that transmit information throughout the brain.

“Reading the newspaper, writing letters, visiting a library, attending a play or playing games, such as chess or checkers, are all simple activities that can contribute to a healthier brain,” notes researcher Konstantinos Arfanakis.

“Several areas throughout the brain, including regions quite important to cognition, showed higher microstructural integrity with more frequent cognitive activity in late life,” says Arfanakis. “Keeping the brain occupied late in life has positive outcomes.”