By Batya Swift Yasgur
Source: Medscape
The concept that cognitive health can be preserved or improved is often expressed as “use it or lose it.” Numerous modifiable risk factors are associated with “losing” cognitive abilities with age and a cognitively active lifestyle may have a protective effect.
But what is a “cognitively active lifestyle” — do crosswords and Sudoku count?
One popular approach is “brain training.” While not a scientific term with an established definition, it “typically refers to tasks or drills that are designed to strengthen specific aspects of one’s cognitive function,” Yuko Hara, PhD, director of Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, told Medscape Medical News.