UW experts offer memory-boosting tips
University of Wisconsin researchers advocate a three-pronged strategy for keeping your brain strong and retaining memory.
“We’re seeing baby boomers and even people in their 30s worrying about brain fitness,” said Asenath LaRue, a senior scientist at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in a Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald article.
LaRue, who is a neuropsychologist at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, says that studies point to three main preventative actions that people can take:
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Be physically active – Any activity, such as gardening, dancing and cleaning, can help keep your body and mind in shape.
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Challenge your brain – Word search games and crossword puzzles help, as does attending lectures and visiting museums.
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Stay socially active – People with broad social networks tend to do better cognitively later in life than those without such connections.
An estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2008, according to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute. Among those over age 65, one in eight – or 13 percent – of individuals have Alzheimer’s.
The Institute recommends the following resources:
Brain fitness blog:
www.sharpbrains.com
Brain games available on the web for free:
www.aarp.org/fun/puzzles/
www.thirdage.com/living/games/sbt1/
Commercial brain fitness programs:
www.mybraintrainer.com
www.cogmed.com
www.positscience.com
www.calibex.com/nintendo-brain-game
www.lumosity.com
Books and other materials that take a holistic approach:
The Healthy Brain Kit, Andrew Weil & Gary Small, 2007
The Memory Prescription, Gary Small, 2004
Keep Your Brain Young, Guy McKhann & Marilyn Albert, 2002
Total Memory Workout, Cynthia Green, 1999
Whole Brain Workouts, Marge Englemann, Elizabeth Ragsdale, and Tom Kinney, 2006
For friends or relatives with mild Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, here are some memory support programs in Wisconsin:
Crossing Bridges & Meeting of Minds – Alzheimer’s Association (South Central Wisconsin Chapter). Contact Mary Reines at (608) 232-3400 or mary.reinces@alz.org
Early Bird Club, Lutheran Living Services, Waukesha, Wis. Contact Jen Nowak at (414) 258-4192 or nowakj@lutheranlivingservices.org
HAART Program, Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, Appleton, Wis. – call 1-800-236-2236 or visit www.thedacare.org
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