Community Centers all throughout the Northbrook, Highland Park and the Northshore provide seniors with various opportunities to stay active, especially with the cold weather just around the corner. This can be very beneficial, especially for those at risk of Alzheimer’s Disease as new research shows that exercising even just a couple times a week can help to slow the effects of the illness.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas noted that Alzhiemer’s patients often show a buildup of protein “plaques” in the brain called amyloid beta protein. Although exercise may not prevent the development or spread of the plaques, it can help to slow the affects of amyloid on the brain.
“Aerobic exercise, three to four times a week, has been shown to help grow brain cells in the part of the brain called the hippocampus, the key area for both laying down new memories and for retrieving old ones,” explains Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist specializing in memory disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The hippocampus is one of the first areas usually affected by Alzheimer’s, showing shrinkage as amyloid in the brain clumps.
Dr. Rong Zhang, head researcher of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and his team conducted a year long study on 70 participants, 55 years and older, all of whom showed some amyloid plaque build up in their brains before the study began. Half of the participants were assigned to exercise four to five times a week. At the end of the study, both groups displayed similar mental abilities in memory and problem solving; however, those in the exercise group showed less shrinkage of the hippocampus.
Dr. Zhang’s research team will be expanding on their findings, heading up a 5-year study with over 600 participants at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. To read more on Dr. Zhang’s ongoing research, visit Health News.
Although these studies still do not provide a clear picture on what causes and how to prevent Alzhiemer’s Disease, it does bring research a bit closer. To find more information on Alzhiemer’s and Dementia, visit Homewatch CareGivers at www.DementiaHelpers.com.