Walking can Slow Mental Aging

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New research suggests walking may slow cognitive decline in adults with mild cognitive injury (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. Investigators from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine found that walking five miles per week keep brain structure over 10 years in people with Alzheimer’s and MCI. The finding was particularly pronounced in areas of the brain’s key memory and knowledge centers said lead investigator Cyrus A. Raji, Ph.D. “We also found that these people had a slower refuse in memory loss over five years.”

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroy memory and cognitive skills. According to the National Institute on Aging, among 2.4 million and 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Based on present population trends, that number is expected to enlarge significantly over the next decade. In cases of MCI, a person has cognitive or memory problems beyond typical age associated memory loss, but not yet as harsh as those found in Alzheimer’s disease. About half of the people with mild cognitive injury progress to a diagnosis of full blown Alzheimer’s disease.

“Because a cure for Alzheimer’s is not yet a actuality, we hope to find ways of alleviating disease progression or symptoms in people who previously are cognitively impaired,” added Dr. Raji. For the ongoing study, the researchers investigate the relationship between physical activity and brain arrangement in 426 people, including 299 healthy adults, and 127 cognitively impair adults, composed of 83 adults with MCI and 44 adults with Alzheimer’s dementia. The researchers monitor how far every of the patients walked in a week. After 10 years, all patients undergo 3-D MRI exams to identify changes in brain volume, which is a very important sign for the brain, noted Dr. Raji.

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