Engaging in cognitive activities is widely believed to help older adults maintain cognitive function, but there has been a lack of scientific evidence to support this notion. A recent study from The Chinese University of Hong Kong has confirmed that increased participation in cognitive activities by older adults has a positive impact on coordinating brain neural networks. The study suggests that older adults should engage in more cognitive activities as a daily preventive measure against cognitive impairment. The research findings were published in "EBioMedicine."
Cognitive impairment is a type of brain function decline disease where patients experience significant decreases in cognitive abilities, including memory, attention and concentration, reasoning and judgment, affecting daily life and activities.
Previous studies have indicated that participating in various activities that promote a healthy lifestyle can help delay cognitive function decline in older adults. However, the academic community has not fully understood how cognitive activities regulate brain function, and there is limited neuroimaging evidence in this regard.
To address this, the research team conducted a randomized controlled study, recruiting a group of older adults who self-reported cognitive decline and regularly engaged in cognitive activities to test the impact of increased cognitive activity participation on the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain.
In this study, a total of 112 older adults aged 55 to 75, living independently and experiencing subjective cognitive decline, participated. All participants had been practicing Chinese calligraphy regularly, with at least one hour of practice per week. They were randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group was required to double the time spent on calligraphy practice during the study period, which lasted for six months, while the control group maintained their usual practice habits. The research team conducted brain magnetic resonance imaging scans on all participants before and after the intervention period to assess changes in the functional connectivity of their DMN.
The results showed that the functional connectivity of the DMN in almost all control group participants decreased, while fewer participants in the intervention group experienced a decrease, and some even showed enhancement. This indicates that increasing the density of cognitive activity participation has a positive impact on consolidating the coordination of brain neural networks in older adults. Additionally, over time, the intervention group showed better performance in working memory compared to the control group.
The lead author of the paper, Associate Professor Lee Ting Chun from the Department of Psychiatry at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, stated, "Our study provides novel neuroimaging evidence confirming that engaging more intensively in routine cognitive activities can help promote brain health, especially in older adults. Engaging in more cognitive activities can serve as a safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention to help community-dwelling older adults maintain cognitive abilities and brain network function."
Link to the research paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105082
