We all know someone who never stops learning – people who always carry a book in their bag, who do crosswords every morning, who take an interest in completely new subjects or sign up for languages even after they’ve retired.
For a long time, it has been thought that these activities simply help to keep you entertained. However, neuroscience has discovered that the benefits go much further.
Today, we know that keeping the brain active is not just a way to stimulate the mind; it can also become one of the most effective tools for protecting it.
In fact, the experts gathered at the seminar ‘The Brain, The Final Frontier’, held in Sitges, Spain and sponsored by Lundbeck, agreed that curiosity is one of the factors that influence longevity. Indeed, it is one of the personality traits shared by the longest-living people.
© Getty ImagesHow lifelong learning lowers Alzheimer’s risk by 38%
One of the works that garnered the most interest during a discussion with neurologist José Miguel Láinez, head of the neurology service at the Hospital Universitario Casa de Salud in Valencia, was a study carried out by the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The study followed nearly 2,000 older people for eight years to analyse which factors could influence the risk of developing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. The results were surprising.
People who had maintained greater cognitive enrichment throughout their lives had a 38% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and delayed the onset of mild cognitive impairment by approximately seven years compared to those who had less intellectual stimulation.
Cognitive enrichment did not just refer to studying during youth; researchers took into account activities carried out during different stages of life, from childhood to old age. Among them were:
- Reading
- Learning new languages
- Visiting museums
- Participating in cultural activities
- Writing
- Enjoying a diverse mix of hobbies and subjects
© Getty ImagesWhat Is ‘cognitive reserve’? The secret weapon protecting your brain’s cells
To understand why these habits can be so protective, one must first understand the concept of cognitive reserve.
As explained by Dr Láinez, cognitive reserve is “the brain’s ability to better tolerate the effects of ageing or brain lesions without showing significant clinical manifestations”. Put more simply, two people can present similar age-associated brain changes and, yet, one of them may manifest symptoms many years later than the other. The difference lies in the brain’s ability to compensate for changes.
As the specialist explained, some people develop more efficient mental strategies or use alternative neural networks that allow them to maintain cognitive performance for longer. That is precisely where the intellectual stimulation accumulated over decades comes into play.
Why books win over puzzles for mental agility
When talking about taking care of the brain, many people immediately think of food or physical exercise. However, neurologists insist that intellectual activity plays an equally important role.
Specifically, reading appears again and again in studies as one of the activities most associated with a greater cognitive reserve. And it is not difficult to understand why. Every time we read, the brain sets multiple processes in motion simultaneously. It interprets symbols, activates memories, builds mental images, relates concepts and maintains attention for prolonged periods.
© Getty ImagesFurthermore, reading exposes the brain to new information constantly. And that is precisely what it likes most.
And, as neuroscientist Dr Mara Dierssen also explained during the seminar, the brain is a dynamic structure that changes continuously with experience. It is not a static organ. Every bit of learning leaves a mark on its neural connections.
That is why specialists often compare the brain to a muscle. The more it is used, the more resources it develops to face new challenges.
The chess experiment that rewired older brains
Another of the most optimistic ideas left by Dr Láinez’s intervention is that these benefits do not disappear with age. In fact, the neurologist presented an experiment carried out with older people who learned to play chess. After several months of training, a significant percentage of the participants improved in different neuropsychological tests related to reasoning, working memory and sequencing capacity. The interesting thing is that the best results appeared precisely among those who had never played before.
Learning something completely new forces you to create different connections and activates circuits that may have been underused for years. That is why specialists insist that it is never too late to start stimulating the mind.
© Getty Images8 simple habits shared by the world’s healthiest minds
As we can see, prevention is essential to protecting our brain health. Taking care of our body but also keeping our mind active can slow down cognitive decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Staying enthusiastic and continuing to learn is one of the best investments we can make to live longer and better. Expert-approved activities that are most helpful are:
- Reading for a few minutes a day
- Learning about new subjects
- Signing up for a course
- Recovering a forgotten hobby
- Studying a different language
- Learning to play chess
- Meeting up with friends
- Talking to others and being curious about other people’s lives and experiences
All of these are small decisions that can have a much greater impact than we imagine. After all, as the most recent research shows, the brain rewards curiosity – that’s why it is a personality trait that many of the longest-living people share.