Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/mBkTDPeg6lI   Throughout life, we accumulate brainpower, known technically as Cognitive Reserve (CR), by participating in formal education, reading, writing, gaming, and having social interactions.  A new study from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute’s Neurobiology Department and Chicago’s Rush University Alzheimer’s Research Center tells us that this extra Cognitive Reserve may protect us from from developing Alzheimer’s and other dementias as we age.   The study group of some 1600 healthy older adults was followed for 20 years and their CRs tabulated.  Those with the highest CR scores were nearly 40% less likely to develop dementia., though about one-quarter of the group eventually developed Alzheimer’s.     If you want to enjoy a long life in full possession of your brainpower, commit to making regular deposits to your mind’s Cognitive Reserve by learning, reading, problem-solving, and socializing now and always.   Xu H, Yang R, Qi X, et al. Association of Lifespan Cognitive Reserve I