I’m a neuroscientist. Here’s how to maintain good cognitive health at any age
The habits that help maintain mental sharpness
- Maintaining mental sharpness throughout life is achievable by cultivating habits that benefit brain function, with cognitive reserve being a key strategy, according to a researcher in cognitive neuroscience and the neuropsychology of ageing processes.
- Cognitive reserve refers to the brain's ability to resist the effects of ageing and neurodegenerative diseases, with research suggesting 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors.
- This reserve is not fixed but can be built and amplified at any age through intellectually stimulating activities such as learning, rich social interactions, and engaging in complex hobbies like playing music or board games like chess.
- Scientific models, particularly the cognitive reserve model, highlight the brain's functional flexibility and its capacity to adapt and compensate for age-related losses.
- Recent studies, including those on memory strategies and second language acquisition, demonstrate that structured learning and intellectual engagement can lead to measurable cognitive and neural benefits, even when started later in life.