Brain Exercises can Slow down the Progress of Dementia

The disease called dementia is very common now a days among old people. Dementia is associated with loss of memory. Usually this happens due to the degeneration of brain cells due to old age. There are many types of dementia, form the well known Alzheimer’s disease to the lesser known Binswanger’s disease. In almost all cases of dementia, it is believed that exercising the brain will help decelerate mental decline.
 

There are many types of dementia diseases. Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are among the more common ones. When a person gets affected by Alzheimer’s disease, he progressively loses his memory and a stage is arrived at, when he is unable to make out who he himself is.
 

There is another type of dementia known as Binswanger’s disease which is not as commonly found as Alzheimer’s disease. The peculiarity of Binswanger’s disease is gait disorder. The gait of the affected person gets very awkward and he becomes unable to walk long distances. This restricts his movements and confines him to his home. Loss of memory will also result. But memory loss will not happen as fast as in the case of Alzheimer’s disease.

 My father is affected by Binswanger’s disease and walking has become very difficult for him. There is loss of memory, but not to a great extent. He is aged 80, but is still very active in the stock market. He is occupied most of the time with that and that provides him with sufficient brain exercise.
 

Keeping your brain busy can prolong the age at which diseases like dementia sets in. But there is a contrasting fact revealed in research studies - when dementia affect persons, the mental decline occurs faster for those whose brains have been the busiest. That is to say, dementia sets in at a later age in mentally busy persons, but when it sets in, the progress of mental decline will be faster in them compared to the mentally less busy persons.

 After getting affected by dementia, brain exercises can prolong the efficiency of the brain to function satisfactorily, even though the degeneration continues inside.

Some useful brain exercises are listed below.

1. Engage in games and puzzles like Sudoku, Scrabble, cross word puzzles etc.
2. Try to study a new language.
3. Solve mathematical problems.
4. Play Chess.
5. Play computer games involving exercise to the brain.
6. Make reading a habit. Read different types of books.
7. Try to remember the list of grocery to buy and phone numbers of friends and relatives.
8. Meditate regularly.
9. Try to learn new words every day.
10. Try to use your left hand if you are right handed and vice versa.
11. Make drawing or painting a hobby.

The above brain exercises are sure to help decelerate the mental decline in dementia patients.

You may find the following links helpful:

http://www.alzinfo.org/about-alzheimers/dementia?mtc=google&kwd=dementia...

http://www.medicinenet.com/dementia/article.htm

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