| Increasingly, scientific evidence tells us that our minds don’t have to deteriorate as we age—there are things we can do now to dramatically increase the probability of staying mentally and physically fit throughout our lives. This is good news indeed, because mental fitness and agility are so directly connected to a good quality of life. Physical exercise, good nutrition, social connection with others, and mental stimulation all play important parts in ensuring that our brains remain sharp and agile.
Over the past 25 years, scientists and physicians affiliated with medical schools and universities all over the world have followed and tested large groups of people to try to understand why some people stay mentally sharp over the span of their lives and other people don’t. As a result, we now have a significant body of scientific research in an area called “cognitive reserve.” Cognitive reserve involves the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways and connections that can be used as a mental savings account, a reserve to be drawn upon in times of need. The research supports the hypothesis that many people continue to operate at a high mental level throughout their lives by building these brain reserves. |
