This factor increases the risk of memory loss in the elderly

This factor increases the risk of memory loss in the elderly

Being alone isn’t the biggest risk for memory loss, new research suggests. However, the feeling loneliness is.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo followed four groups of adults over a six-year period to see how loneliness and social isolation affected memory loss. Participant categories included those who were socially isolated and lonely, those who were only socially isolated, those who were only lonely, and those who were neither.

Respondents who were the socially isolated and lonely had the greatest decline in memory. But only loneliness, not social isolation, had the second biggest effect on memory.

While social connections have been proven to keep you sharper and happier as you age, it’s just as important to stay mentally active whether you’re around people or not.

How can your brain serve you as long as possible?

“Brain structures never finish connecting,” Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., a psychologist and neuroscientist, said during the Science of Smarter Aging class.

And the ability of your brain to change its neuronal structure lasts your whole life. This means that you can learn new skills at any time, it says CNBC Make It.

One way to improve brain function is to try new things.

“Every time you come across something that you didn’t expect or didn’t foresee, and that might be useful for the future, your brain will try to learn it,” said Baret.

Activities like traveling, learning a new language or reading a book they can improve your brain health.

Physical activity can also stimulate the growth of brain cells, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist and dean of New York University’s School of Arts and Sciences, told CNBC Make It.

Stimulating social connections is not entirely useless. In fact, meeting new people can also be beneficial.

Source: BIZLife

Photo: Freepik