Activities like crosswords and chess may be more effective than socialising in avoiding dementia in the elderly, a new Australian study has suggested.
Previously, links had been drawn between creative hobbies like crafting, knitting and painting to a reduced risk of developing the condition - about seven per cent - but according to the research, other, slightly more challenging quests could prove even more effective.
Researchers drew data from over 10,000 Australians aged 70 and older, and found that participants who "regularly engaged in adult literacy and mental acuity tasks" - such as education classes, keeping journals, and doing crosswords - were some 9 to 11 per cent less likely to develop dementia than their peers.
Published in medical journal JAMA Network Open, the findings – among the most robust on this topic – could play a pivotal role in helping older people and aged care professionals plan more targeted approaches to reducing dementia risk.
"We had a unique opportunity to close a gap in knowledge by investigating a broad range of lifestyle enrichment activities that older adults often undertake, and assess which of those were most strongly aligned with avoiding dementia," Monash associate professor Joanne Ryan said.
"I think what our results tell us is that active manipulation of previously stored knowledge may play a greater role in dementia risk reduction than more passive recreational activities.
"Keeping the mind active and challenged may be particularly important."
In 2022, roughly 55 million people around the world lived with dementia, with 10 million new cases each year emerging.
The study found that activities like using computers, quizzes, crosswords, playing cards or chess as well as reading and listening to music can all help minimise the risk.
"While engaging in literacy and mental acuity activities may not be a magic pill to avoid dementia, if that was your goal and you had to choose, our research certainly suggests these are the activities most likely to support prolonged good cognitive health," Ryan said.
"The participants were cognitively healthy, and were likely already leading socially active lives, such that the cognitive benefits of strong social networks may be less obvious in this group compared to the general public," she said.
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