Having someone to talk to could help stave off Alzheimer’s in middle-aged people – Study
Participants with friends or family members they could count
Having ‘a good listener’ reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the rate at which the brain ages, a study suggests.
Each of the Adults who said they had someone they could talk to scored better in cognition tests than those who did not have confidants.
Participants with friends or family members they could count on also had brains that were four years younger than their counterparts.
It’s thought that deep and meaningful conversations keep the brain active, preventing the build-up of harmful deposits that cause Alzheimer’s.
Age is the number one risk factor for the disease but loneliness and a lack of mental stimulation in old age speeds up the condition.
New York University scientists looked at the brain cognitive function of more than 2,100 volunteers with an average age of 63.
They said that although Alzheimer’s typically occurs in the elderly, the results apply to middle-aged and younger adults.
The researchers used MRI scans to measure brain volume – with lower numbers pointing to worse cognitive function and greater risk of Alzheimer’s.
The results were published in the online journal JAMA Network Open.
People who scored best also said they had “someone available most of the time whom you can count on to listen to you when you need to talk.”
Lead researcher Dr Joel Salinas, a neurologist at NYU, said people should view the results as an opportunity to reach out and keep in touch with loved ones.
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour.
There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Mail Online