How much sociability matters in preventing or at least delaying the onset of Cognitive deficit in the third age? Definitely very. And there are simple measures that can help us to remain “connected”, helping the infinite and impersonable routes that connect the stations of the nervous system. This is why it is important do not isolate yourself: Regular contact with others is fundamental. And it is necessary always cultivate one’s interestsavoiding to close in oneself. Doing what you like together with friends and relatives helps to break the monotony. It is also important to regularly do the shopping. Shopping involves different dimensions of personal well -being both from the point of view of health and social cohesion, and could therefore increase wellness. And then, it matters inquirediscussing with others. Body and mind, together with friends, work together keeping the brain active and improving coordination.
To confirm how much these simple social measures can help is a research conducted by the experts of the Rush University, which appeared online on “Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association“.
How much is the fight against cognitive decline
The study, coordinated by Bryan James, confirms once again how social life can help prevent cognitive decay in the third age, or at least delay its debut. According to James, as reported by a note, the study reveals that “social activity is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and slight cognitive deterioration and that the elderly less active socially They developed dementia on average five years before the most socially active ones “.
But what happens technically? The hypothesis is that social activity strengthens neural circuits In the brain, making them more resistant to the pathologies that are increasingly present with the advance of age. All this, based on a simple neurological path. Social behavior would activate the same areas of the brain involved in thought and memory. The results suggest that a more frequent social activity indicates one 38% reduction in the risk of dementia and one 21% reduction in the risk of slight cognitive deteriorationcompared to those who are less active in this sense.
Economic savings estimates
How much is the onset of dementia’s onset? Both on the front of the individual and of healthcare the income statement is widely in surplus. According to what is reported in the research, it is estimated that a delay of five years in the onset of dementia involves an increased survival of three years with a reduction in the costs related to the cognitive decay which is around 40% in the following thirty years. Which would translate into about half a million dollars for each personin terms of a mere income statement for each person who in the end will however develop the signs of the progressive functional drop in the brain.
For the record, the study included 1,923 elderly people without dementia with an average age of about 80 years participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal study in progress on the Municipalities chronic conditions of aging. 545 participants developed dementia and 695 have developed slight cognitive deterioration. Each of them was subjected to annual assessments that included a medical anamnesis and neuropsychological tests. The social activity was measured on the basis of a questionnaire that asked the participants if and with what frequency in the previous year they had carried out six common social activities that imply social interaction, for example if they had gone to the restaurant or to sporting events, if They had played Bingo, if they had made trips of a day or night, if they had volunteered or visited relatives or friends. The cognitive function has been evaluated using 21 tests for various types of memory, as well as perceptual speed and visuospace capacity. At the beginning of the investigation, all participants were without signs of cognitive deterioration. On average, however, in five years Those who were more socially active showed reduced rates of dementia. Other variables that may have explained the increase in cognitive decline, such as age, exercise and health, They have all been correct in the analysis.
Important to cultivate relationships
The brain of all, and in particular the elderly, friendship It can become a real tool for prevention and care for brain decay. Having a network of social relationships can be truly a medicine, or if you prefer an integration to a healthy lifestyle, so much so that you can see its effects “measured” in a scientific key. Just like a tablet: the dose of the active ingredient counts, that is proximity, empathy And the certainty of having those who are close to us and to be able to stay close to others, just as they can also check how much time wants to give in to the effects of the “treatment” made of hugs, bellbids, theater evening or on the track from dance.
To witness this reality, a research conducted at the State University of Pennsylvania, coordinated by Ruixue Zhaoyang and published on Plos One, had also witnessed this reality. The study examined just over 300 people between 70 and 90 years old, analyzing for over two consecutive weeks not only the number of relationships, therefore of people encountered, but also the quality of these relationships. The “checks”, as must happen in a clinical evaluation, were repeated on average five times a day: each person involved in the research had to report how many other people had come into contact with her with great attention to the “de visu” meetings, Chat on the phone or even more simply to the exchange of messages via Smartphone. Obviously, in evaluating the “value” of these individual relationships, the reactions have also been considered, that is, whether these “appointments” have been welcome or not very pleasant.
How to measure the effects of this condition? Through special tests, to be carried out through the mobile phone three times a day throughout the study period. These tests were aimed at evaluating the information processing speed by correlating it with the level of attention, the working memory together with the ability to associate the proposed concepts. Result: theright friendship and the number of positive relationships they count. On days with the greatest number of relationships, also in relation to their positive value, that is, with “real” friends, the best results for cognitive tests were observed. But it is not enough: even the effect of these value encounters in emotional terms (relatives are also good, as long as the relationships are good) tends to last over time, up to at least two days after the high profile report that friend. And it tends to increase, like a sort of “chain”, if the habit of the relationship remains.