[Senior Trend] The Life Our Brain Desires, How to Keep Dementia at Bay

"My father doesn't recognize me. He is in the final stage of dementia." This is the story of an acquaintance who could no longer attend regular meetings. Dementia is a condition in which brain function is impaired due to various causes, leading to a continuous and overall decline in cognitive abilities compared to before, causing significant difficulties in daily life.

Dementia can happen to anyone. Professor Scott Roberts from the University of Michigan states, "Numerous studies show that over 30% of the population aged 65 and older have dementia or mild cognitive impairment." According to the 2020 dementia statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, one in ten Koreans aged 65 or older suffers from dementia, and the number of cases doubles every five years as age increases. The estimated number exceeded 880,000 in 2022.

I, too, fear dementia the most as I age. Just imagining it is frightening. How can it be prevented? I would like to introduce the book Aging with Grace. It is a compilation of a project by the University of Kentucky Medical Center and the Institute on Aging that studied the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The subtitle is "Lessons from Nuns on Living Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives." The study involved hundreds of nuns living under controlled lifestyle rules such as diet, sharing the same religious beliefs and living conditions, and conducted various surveys. In 1991, nuns aged 75 and older participated not only in the survey but also donated their brains after death.

Interestingly, many of these nuns lived long lives, actively volunteering healthily even into their 85s and 90s. Postmortem examinations revealed that some had brains with the physical characteristics of dementia but showed no signs of dementia in their daily lives. Through surveys, the group was divided into optimistic and pessimistic personality groups, with the former showing better outcomes. This research suggests that dementia is influenced not only by genetics but also significantly by lifestyle.

Are there more specific, actionable practices? Last year, through a class by Professor Han Sowon at Seoul National University, I learned for the first time that the brain desires a life of dancing, singing, and exercising. The class began with the question, "Does the brain really harden as we age?" The answer was no. The brain changes daily and has self-compensating mechanisms, allowing it to develop throughout our lives. Various studies using donated brains after death are ongoing to discover how the brain changes under different conditions.

One case was particularly impressive. Gabrielle Giffords, a U.S. congresswoman from Arizona, was shot in the head by a gunman while meeting voters in 2011. The bullet penetrated her left brain, damaging the language area and causing aphasia. During rehabilitation with speech therapists, she began singing her favorite songs through music therapy and other treatments, even though she still could not speak. Scientists explain this through "neuroplasticity." The brain has the ability to create new pathways around damaged areas. When creating paths in the forest of the brain, it is difficult to make new major roads if the main ones are lost, but other regions can take over the functions of the damaged areas. Music is said to activate the brain more extensively than almost anything else.

Also, building muscle strength is necessary. Physical activity is connected to cognitive ability, so exercising helps the brain develop. Exercise creates a younger brain. For people over 60 who have not exercised regularly, aerobic exercise improves cognitive function and strengthens brain connectivity. Studies show that consistent running can slow brain aging by up to five times. A reduction in depression is an added benefit.

Before deciding "Let's start running today!", there is one more practical method: dancing. Because dancing combines music and movement, it increases white matter in the brain and greatly aids cognitive function. Just as aerobic exercise was more effective than stretching in activating the brain, dancing that requires learning sequences and movements, such as line dancing or dance sports, is better than freestyle dancing. This keeps the brain continuously learning.

We inevitably age even if we do nothing. Now that we know the brain and body can be trained, living energetically has significant meaning. Regardless of age, we must receive education and learn according to our circumstances. Studying is not something with a fixed time; it requires continuous use, learning, and change. It does not end once accumulated.

A new paradigm: How shall we live?

By Iboram, CEO of Third Age