Seniors may reduce dementia risk by engaging in leisure activities

“Dancing increases your intelligence.”

When I came across that claim in an article, I was dubious. Really? Dancing makes you smarter?

Turns out, the basis of that claim is a New England Journal of Medicine study. Impressive! I had to bite.

It was actually surprisingly easy to find the NEJM study, even though it’s nearly a decade old.

So let’s go back to the original claim… Does dancing increase your intelligence?

If it does, this isn’t the study that proves it. This study has nothing to do with intelligence.

But dancing might reduce dementia risk. Don’t feel like dancing? Then read something. Or play an instrument. Or play a board game. The study linked all these leisure activities to lower dementia risk.

In the five-year study of more than 450 seniors, researchers could not say these activities actually had a causal effect. But they believe leisure activities might increase “cognitive reserve.” And that reserve might delay the progress of preclinical dementia.

Hey. I’m 100% signed on for delaying preclinical dementia.

Monopoly anyone?

Sources:
“Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly” New England Journal of Medicine” Vol. 348, No. 25, 6/19/03, nejm.org