NEW research has found playing the piano or travelling the globe can help reduce the risk of developing dementia.
The study, led by academics at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), has found that engaging in physically, socially, and intellectually stimulating activities in middle age is one of the most powerful ways to boost your cognitive condition.
And that even applies for those with increased genetic or familial risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
“We have known for some time that lifestyle activities, such as exercise, can stave off cognitive decline in older adults,” Professor Lorina Naci, from Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and the Global Brain Health Institute, said as their findings were published this week.
“We were surprised to see that stimulating everyday activities significantly boost cognition in mid-life, decades before age-related cognitive decline sets in,” she added.
“Crucially, we saw that bigger benefits came from a mix of different activities, rather than one single one.
“Our results suggest that variety is key and that a combination of physical, social, and mental stimulation is most effective for boosting brain health.”
The findings were published on April 21 in the Journal of Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring.
The research team analysed data from 700 cognitively healthy adults aged 40–59 from across Ireland and the UK who are participating in a 10-year longitudinal study.
One third of the participants carry genetic risk for late-life Alzheimer’s Disease.
The study found that a stimulating activity can play a greater role than the strongest common genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in shaping cognitive health in mid-life.
“Put simply, the positive association for cognition found for these lifestyle activities was stronger than the negative association with genetic risk,” a TCD spokesperson explained.
“This association was found at the participants’ first visit to clinical research facilities for the longitudinal study.
“Further study of this group of participants over the 10-year study will determine how this positive association evolves over time.”
The activities tested for the research included socialising with family or friends, practicing a musical instrument, practicing an artistic pastime, engagement in physical activities, reading, practicing a second language, and travelling.
Professor Naci believes the findings of the study can have meaningful real-world implications.
“This research is empowering: it shows that engaging in a diverse range of stimulating activities – such as socialising, learning new skills, staying physically active, and nurturing mental health – can actively strengthen cognitive resilience decades before any symptoms appear, even for those with genetic risk and family history of dementia,” she said.
“This reframes brain health as something people can shape through attainable lifestyle choices, encouraging earlier and sustained engagement in enjoyable activities,” she added.
“It also shows that governments who are serious about reducing the future burden of dementia need to prioritise lifestyle mid-life interventions, including mental health support, cardiovascular risk management, brain injury prevention, and access to lifelong learning and community engagement programmes.”
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