Memory & Dementia: New Developments to Protect & Improve Cognition

Forgetfulness naturally occurs for many people as they age; however, memory problems can also be a symptom of more serious cognitive issues. Understanding the differences between everyday forgetting and cognitive decline can make all the difference in early detection of illness.

Cognitive decline can be an early indicator of the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's Disease so paying attention to symptoms becomes quite important as you or your loved ones’ age.

Seniors with mild cognitive impairment can benefit from a variety of foods and activities to improve their memory.

According to Ana Sandoiu in Medical News Today playing computer games may help improve memory in seniors with mild cognitive impairment.

Computer game may improve symptoms of mild cognitive impairment

 Scientists have designed a brain training app that might boost episodic memory in people living with amnestic mild cognitive impairment - a potential precursor to dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to the stage between the normal forgetfulness or cognitive decline that is a natural part of aging, and the more serious memory problems that may signal the imminent onset of dementia.

Some have referred to this transitional phase as "amnestic mild cognitive impairment" (aMCI), which may manifest as everyday forgetfulness and motivational deficits.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom developed a brain training app called "Game Show," with the aim of improving cognition and motivation in people with aMCI. Read the full article here....

As you can see from the University of Cambridge study, playing brain training games can drastically improve results in people with mild memory issues.

Fortunately, there are even more actions you can take to protect cognitive health for yourself, your parents and other seniors in your life.

Nutrition and diet also play a significant role in your brain and cognitive health. In fact, Italian researchers determined that chocolate can improve brain performance!

Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition

 The effects of relatively long-term ingestion of cocoa flavanols (ranging from 5 days up to 3 months) has generally been investigated in elderly individuals. It turns out that for them cognitive performance was improved by a daily intake of cocoa flavanols. Factors such as attention, processing speed, working memory, and verbal fluency were greatly affected. These effects were, however, most pronounced in older adults with a starting memory decline or other mild cognitive impairments.

And this was exactly the most unexpected and promising result according to authors Valentina Socci and Michele Ferrara from the University of L'Aquila in Italy. "This result suggests the potential of cocoa flavanols to protect cognition in vulnerable populations over time by improving cognitive performance. If you look at the underlying mechanism, the cocoa flavanols have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health and can increase cerebral blood volume in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. This structure is particularly affected by aging and therefore the potential source of age-related memory decline in humans."   Read more about the study here...

According to researchers, it's much more than chocolate that can impact brain health. Diets rich in olive oil and plant-based foods like that found in the Mediterranean diet also prove to offer additional protection for memory function.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Preserves Memory and Protects Brain Against Alzheimer's

 Researchers show that the consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles in the brain -- classic markers of Alzheimer's disease.

The Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia.

Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil, a major component of the Mediterranean diet. Learn more about the olive oil study here...

As you can see, eating a diet rich in cocoa flavonoids (dark chocolate) and eating a plant-based Mediterranean diet (with lots of olive oil) offers many benefits to protecting the brain from cognitive decline. And when there are mild memory issues in seniors, scientist-developed brain training apps look promising to stave off further cognitive decline.