Being mentally and socially active can prevent memory loss

People with complex jobs, and those who stay mentally and socially active are less likely to lose their memory.

Mental activity could ward off Alzheimer’s disease, says a new research.

Iowa State University (USA) researchers identified a protein essential for building memories that appears to predict the progression of memory loss and brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s patients.

Research assistant Auriel Willette said the findings also suggest that there is a link between brain activity and the presence of the protein neuronal pentraxin-2, or NPTX2.

Read:Stimulating the brain during sleep helps improve memory

“NPTX2 seems to exert a protective effect,” Swanson said. “The more you have, the less brain atrophy and better memory you have over time.”

The discovery is encouraging as it offers an avenue to track the progression of Alzheimer’s disease over time, but it also generates a lot of questions. Researchers want to know how best to boost NPTX2 levels and if there is an added benefit. They were struck by a trend in the data that points to a possible answer.

People with complex jobs and who stay mentally and socially active showed higher levels of the protein.

“You’re keeping the machinery going,” Willette said. “It makes sense that the more time spent intensely focused on learning, the more your brain is trained to process information and that doesn’t go away. That intense kind of learning seems to make your brain stronger.”

Read: Brain training can cut dementia risk in healthy adults

The study is published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

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