As one gets older, one is
haunted by some vague fears. One is fear
of death. More than death, one fears the
suffering before death either physically where one is not able to attend to one’s
basic functions without assistance or mentally where one does not remember
about oneself, let alone others. This
fear gets accentuated when physical organs start non-cooperation with one and the
memory plays tricks with him. Let us
look into the memory aspect. As we grow
older we keep forgetting names, dates, incidents and also cannot recollect
where we placed things like keys, mobile phone etc. Forgetting wife’s birthday can be
absent-mindedness, but forgetting wife’s name itself is not. As one gets older,
reaction time becomes longer and also the time to retrieve information from one’s
memory. Sometime we suffer from the
tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon when the word is almost there but we cannot
articulate it. The reason for this memory lapse is attributed to steady loss of
brain power in critical areas such as the hippo campus- the area where memory
is processed.
But the brain power can be retained and even improved upon even as one
gets older, says Dr, Peiris, a neuro-scientist in an article in Tattvaloka. Since he has some positive things to say on
aging and brain power, let me share the positive ideas through this blog. Some brain functions improve with age, it is
said. As we age, we more easily get the
gist of arguments. Even our judgement of
others improves. We also get better at knowing what to ignore
and when to hold our tongue. More than all these, there is no loss of
neuroplasticity due to old age.
Neuroplasticity is derived
from two words Neuron and Plastic. Neuron refers to a nerve
cell in our brain. Each individual cell is linked to another by a small space
called the synapse. Neuroplasticity refers to the power of brain to create
neural pathways to meet new needs. In short the ability of the brain to change
in face of new challenges is called neuroplasticity. It had been earlier held that the brain which
has around 86 billion cells cannot regenerate new cells but it is known now that this is not true in
respect of certain areas of the brain and that there is cell growth in brain throughout
life. So the age related cognital decline is not due to neuronal death but due
to synaptic alterations.. Further the earlier notion that after age forty no new neural
pathways are created is now discredited. It is now discovered that new neural
cells and new neural pathways are created throughout life. In fact certain areas of the brain increase
in size with usage. So the brain can continue to learn in old age; in fact the
brain never stops changing through learning throughout life. So whatever be the age we can try to lead a
brain-healthy life, even viewing the changes in fast thinking area of the brain
to our advantage as it helps to avoid impulsive actions and quick judgement of
people. To maintain the brain power in one’s old age, one can take the
following steps as suggested in the above article and in various others.
1) Physical activity
Regular physical exercise aids better brain function and reduced risk of
cognitive decline and dementia. Exercise gives the brain a healthy boost. Physical exercise increases blood flow to the
brain, stimulates the growth of brain cells and the connections between them,
and is associated with larger brain volume.
This is more so in the case of persons with high blood pressure,
obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, as these are associated with an
increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. A combination of stretch and muscle building
exercises of moderate intensity and outdoor-walking exposed to sunlight for a
minimum of 300 minutes or five hours a week is recommended. Movement of the
body in a variety of ways
2) Healthy diet
Studies have revealed that a high intake of
saturated fats, such as those found in meat, deep fried foods and takeaway food
and trans fats often found in pies, pastries, cakes, biscuits and buns are
associated with an increased risk of dementia. A higher intake of polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats or 'good fats', such as those found in fish oil and olive
oil, is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Foods that are high in
antioxidants such as tomatoes, kidney beans, pecan nuts, cranberries,
blueberries and oranges also seem to be good for brain health. So having a diet regime with an emphasis on
beneficial foods, and avoidance of high risk foods is helpful in maintaining
brain health until the last days. As
heart health is very much connected with brain health, any food affecting the
heart health must be avoided.
3) Regular challenge to brain
This is very important as
‘use it or lose it’ is very much true of the brain. Scientists have found that challenging the brain
with new activities helps to build new brain cells and strengthen connections
between them. There
are many ways in which this can be done.
We shall see a few of them. One is to change our routine activity in an
unexpected nontrivial way like changing the walking route, using the left hand
to open a door or brush your teeth. Another popular one is doing crosswords,
sudoku or doing puzzles that involve logic, word skills, maths and more. Learning a new skill like painting, cookery,
dancing, learning a new language, engaging in creative activity, updating
existing skills, cultivating a new hobby; all these engage multiple areas of the
brain.
4) Meditation, prayer and positive thinking
5) Social activity
Man being a social animal, prefers the company of others rather than
existing in isolation. To help look
after your brain health it's important to be social with people whose company
you enjoy and in ways that interest you. It is mentally stimulating and may
contribute to building brain reserve which then contributes to a lower dementia
risk. Participation in satsang with
prayerful attitude, learning works of prayers like Narayaneeyam and Tiruppugazh, group yoga and group exercise combine social activity with
other beneficial activities.
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