Mentally challenging activities can improve brain health in older people, a latest study suggests.
"We need, as a society, to learn how to maintain a healthy mind, just like we know how to maintain vascular health with diet and exercise," psychological scientist and lead researcher Denise Park of the University of Texas at Dallas said, in news release. "We know so little right now."
For the study, the researchers examined 221 adults between the ages 60 and 90. They were divided into three groups and one group was told to take up one type of activity for up to 15 hours a day during the study timeframe of three months. The participants engaged themselves in digital photography and quilting. These activities need good amount of engagement and cognitive skills.
"And, to account for the possible influence of social contact, some participants were assigned to a social group that included social interactions, field trips, and entertainment," the researchers wrote in the study.
According to the study results, subjects who learned new skills had improved memory compared to those that engaged in social activities only.
"The findings suggest that engagement alone is not enough," said Park. "The three learning groups were pushed very hard to keep learning more and mastering more tasks and skills."
"Only the groups that were confronted with continuous and prolonged mental challenge improved."
The researchers concluded that engaging in mentally challenging activities can be beneficial in improving brain engagement in older people.
