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Here's today's feel-good story:
Researchers have observed that having someone available to listen to you when you need to talk is associated with greater cognitive resilience, a measurement of your brain's ability to function better than expected. Mentally stimulating activities, exercise, and positive social interactions can also make one's mind better.
“We think of cognitive resilience as a buffer to the effects of brain aging and disease,” says Joel Salinas, MD, the Lulu P. and David J. Levidow Assistant Professor of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and member of the Department of Neurology’s Center for Cognitive Neurology.
“This study adds to growing evidence that people can take steps, either for themselves or the people they care about most, to increase the odds they’ll slow down cognitive aging or prevent the development of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease—something that is all the more important given that we still don’t have a cure for the disease.”
Today, an estimated 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's which affects those over 65 and interferes with memory, language, and independent living.