A mentally active lifestyle may protect against the memory and learning problems that often occur in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows.
The study is published in the June 15, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis can be a severely disabling autoimmune disease that affects the myelin or insulating layer of the nerve fibers and typically has remissions and relapses
Advertisement
"Many people with MS struggle with learning and memory problems. This study shows that a mentally active lifestyle might reduce the harmful effects of brain damage on learning and memory. That is, learning and memory ability remained quite good in people with enriching lifestyles, even if they had a lot of brain damage (brain atrophy on brain scans). In contrast, persons with lesser mentally active lifestyles were more likely to suffer learning and memory problems, even at milder levels of brain damage," said study author James Sumowski, PhD, with the Kessler Foundation Research Center in West Orange, New Jersey.
The study involved 44 people around the age of 45 who had MS for an average of 11 years. The study authors measured lifetime enrichment with word knowledge, typically acquired through activities that involve reading and education.
![Chemotherapy]( "Chemotherapy")
''Chemo'' means medicine or ''drug'', ''therapy'' means ''treatment''. Chemotherapy refers to the use of cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of cancer.
The study found that those with a mentally active lifestyle had good scores on the tests of learning and memory even if they had higher amounts of brain damage. For example, on a test of verbal learning and memory, participants were given up to 15 tries to learn a list of 10 words, and were then asked to recall the list after 30 minutes. Among people with mentally active lifestyles, learning and recall was similar in those with lower and higher amounts of brain damage (recall decline of about one percent: 9.6 words to 9.5 words).
In contrast, among persons with less intellectually enriching lifestyles, learning was slower and recall was lower after 30 minutes among those with higher amounts of brain damage compared to those with lower amounts of damage (recall decline of about 16 percent: 9.6 words to 8.0 words).
"The findings suggest that enriching activities may build a person's 'cognitive reserve,' which can be thought of as a buffer against disease-related memory impairment. Differences in cognitive reserve among persons with MS may explain why some persons suffer memory problems early in the disease, while others do not develop memory problems until much later, if at all," said Sumowski.
"These results open up a whole new area of inquiry in MS that could have a significant impact," said Peter A. Arnett, PhD, of Penn State University in University Park, Pa., who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. "There's the potential that people could improve their cognitive reserve to reduce or prevent cognitive problems later."
Arnett said the possibility is particularly appealing because people typically live with MS for many years, and cognitive problems are common. "More research is needed before any firm recommendations can be made, but it seems reasonable to encourage people with MS to get involved in activities that might improve their cognitive reserve, such as mentally stimulating activities like crossword puzzles and word games, regular exercise, and social relationships."
"These findings are similar to research on cognitive reserve in aging and Alzheimer's disease," Sumowski said. "Studies on aging have also shown that engagement in specific cognitive leisure activities, such as reading books or playing games, also protects against the effects of Alzheimer's disease. More research is needed to investigate the contribution of specific leisure activities to cognitive reserve in people with MS."
Source: Eurekalert
Chemotherapy
''Chemo'' means medicine or ''drug'', ''therapy'' means ''treatment''. Chemotherapy refers to the use of cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of cancer.
Advertisement
The study found that those with a mentally active lifestyle had good scores on the tests of learning and memory even if they had higher amounts of brain damage. For example, on a test of verbal learning and memory, participants were given up to 15 tries to learn a list of 10 words, and were then asked to recall the list after 30 minutes. Among people with mentally active lifestyles, learning and recall was similar in those with lower and higher amounts of brain damage (recall decline of about one percent: 9.6 words to 9.5 words).
In contrast, among persons with less intellectually enriching lifestyles, learning was slower and recall was lower after 30 minutes among those with higher amounts of brain damage compared to those with lower amounts of damage (recall decline of about 16 percent: 9.6 words to 8.0 words).
"The findings suggest that enriching activities may build a person's 'cognitive reserve,' which can be thought of as a buffer against disease-related memory impairment. Differences in cognitive reserve among persons with MS may explain why some persons suffer memory problems early in the disease, while others do not develop memory problems until much later, if at all," said Sumowski.
"These results open up a whole new area of inquiry in MS that could have a significant impact," said Peter A. Arnett, PhD, of Penn State University in University Park, Pa., who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. "There's the potential that people could improve their cognitive reserve to reduce or prevent cognitive problems later."
Arnett said the possibility is particularly appealing because people typically live with MS for many years, and cognitive problems are common. "More research is needed before any firm recommendations can be made, but it seems reasonable to encourage people with MS to get involved in activities that might improve their cognitive reserve, such as mentally stimulating activities like crossword puzzles and word games, regular exercise, and social relationships."
"These findings are similar to research on cognitive reserve in aging and Alzheimer's disease," Sumowski said. "Studies on aging have also shown that engagement in specific cognitive leisure activities, such as reading books or playing games, also protects against the effects of Alzheimer's disease. More research is needed to investigate the contribution of specific leisure activities to cognitive reserve in people with MS."
Source: Eurekalert
Boffins Discover Protein That May Repair Brain Damage Caused By Multiple Sclerosis
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a protein - which helps build the brain in infants and children - may aid efforts to restore damage
Advertisement
 Using Swedish Snuff Not Associated With An Elevated Risk For Multiple SclerosisA new study finds that unlike cigarettes, Swedish snuff doesn't increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Research News
Identifying an unappreciated relationship between brain shape and activity overturns the century-old paradigm emphasizing the importance of complex brain connectivity.
Decoding the eight factors affecting Black adults' life expectancy.
Sobering truth about foot travel in the United States emerges from international statistics, highlighting the prevalence of walking on the Blacksburg campus.
Unveiling a hidden mechanism, proteins within brain cells exhibit newfound abilities at synapses, reinforcing Darwin's theory of adaptation and diversity in the natural world.
Combining micro-needling and cupping, two emerging and alternative techniques, in an experimental study reveals a potential synergy for skin rejuvenation.