by Bob McCluskey on March 15, 2010
Research increasing tells us that more social engagement delays memory loss as we age. This is not surprising because relating to other people exercises the memory at many levels. As we learn more about how memory works we understand that past experiences are constantly being recalled and associated with current perceptions and thoughts. When the resulting associations are themselves stored for future use, the memory is strengthened.
That is why strong social interaction with friends, family and community members can improve our brain health as we grow older. It also reinforces the understanding that social isolation is a major risk factor for mental and emotional decline for seniors. Recently the Harvard School of Public Health studied data from the Health And Retirement Study, that observed adults who were 50 years of age or more. The subjects of the study completed memory tests every two years. The researchers also measured the social activity of study participants based on marital status, volunteer activities and contact with parents, children and neighbors. The results showed that people in their 50s and 60s who engaged in a significant amount of social activity also had the slowest rate of memory loss. In fact, when they were compared to folks who were the least socially active, those who had the highest socialization scores had less than half the rate of memory loss.
Ironically, the increasing importance of social interaction occurs at a period of life when people are most vulnerable to isolation. Declining health, diminishing traditional support systems, the increasing independence of younger children and relatives and negative expectations about aging combine to produce loneliness and depression, which lead to accelerating health decline, and so forth. This is not necessary.
People who are suffering from these symptoms of aging are the least capable of helping themselves break free of the cycles that are robbing them of the potential for a great quality of life. It is critically important that those who care for and about them intervene, if necessary, to interrupt the cycles. This is not always easy in a society that values independence and non-interference. However, if we care about our aging population we must acknowledge that they are not as independent as they were, or as they think they are, or as they would like to be. We need to find creative ways to help them maintain their socialization opportunities and, thus, their memories. Technology is one such means, and community resources can offer many others. Nevertheless, it is likely to be up to those of us who owe them so much to pay it back by gently nudging them back into society when we see them slipping away.
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by Bob McCluskey on February 8, 2010
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I have in the past written about the potential of Ginkgo Biloba in the prevention of memory loss. In the interest of fairness, I need to tell you about the latest research findings in this regard. In a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 240 milligrams per day of the dietary supplement Ginkgo Biloba was found to be statistically ineffective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people.
3,069 people age 75 or older were followed by the study for an average of 6 years each. They started out with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. People who already had dementia were excluded from the study. Study participants were given twice-daily doses of either 120 milligrams of ginkgo extract or a placebo. The study was primarily designed to find out whether ginkgo would decrease dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease. A second purpose was to evaluate ginkgo for its effects on generally cognitive decline, such as memory loss, disability, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and total mortality.
Dr. Steven T. DeKosky was the lead researcher on the project. At the conclusion of the study, he said, “The results of this study confirm the importance of randomized trials in the development of new therapies for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and in determining therapeutic benefit not only for conventional therapies but also complementary therapies like ginkgo… If older patients are considering using ginkgo for preventing dementia, I urge them to speak with their health care providers about the results of this study and work together to create the best treatment plan.”
523 of the participants were diagnosed with dementia during the study. 246 of them were in the placebo group and 277 were in the ginkgo group. Therefore, the conclusion was that ginkgo showed no ability to reduce dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, the study did not find significant adverse effects from ginkgo either. The next step is to analyze the data for conclusions about the other factors studied. According to Kr. DeKosky, “Future analyses will provide us with additional information on ginkgo’s possible effects on cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression and other age-related conditions.”
It is important to emphasize that the only conclusions of the study thus far are related to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. People have been taking Ginkgo for many years, and it has been reported effective for the treatment of many conditions. You shouldn’t go beyond the conclusions of the study to decide whether Ginkgo is effective in other ways. I don’t take it but I know that many respected people do. The use of any dietary supplement should be based on discussion with medical professionals.
source information from: Alzheimer’s Reading Room: Ginkgo Biloba — Two Thumbs Down for Treatment of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
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