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Brain training games can boost brain health but won’t prevent dementia, neurologist says
What happens when your brain sees a friend across the street? It gives a brain wave&
Cognitive training has been a subject of scientific inquiry for a century, and now brain training video games and apps are more readily available than ever. There may not be rock-solid evidence that they prevent cognitive decline, but neurologist Thompson Maesaka says they can help add layers of protective myelin to brain cells, which make it harder for neurodegenerative conditions to work their wicked ways on them. But they won’t halt or reverse dementia altogether, no matter how much you play them.
Brain games have the potential to slow the progression of dementia
Brain training games and apps are not a silver bullet when it comes to managing the growing population of people with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers and other forms of dementia.
Sometimes, genetic expression does its thing, says neurologist Thompson Maesaka, and a disease will present itself no matter what.
But that doesnt mean we should disregard them.
A fundamental principle of the brain can’t be ignored in this scenario, Thompson emphasizes. Use it or lose it.
Try to see your brain as you do the muscles in your legs or arms. If you stop exercising your legs, Thompson reminds us, they get weak and you’re at risk for falling over. The same goes for brain tissue.
When people retire and age, in general, they exercise these cognitive skills significantly less than when they were working and younger. This poses a risk for them to atrophy.
On the other hand, when a neurodegenerative disease like dementia begins to shrink brain tissue, having a lot of real estate present from years of training makes sure that tissue remains intact for longer, which in turn improves cognitive function in the long term, and almost certainly improves the quality of life in the process.
The role of myelin in the onset and development of neurodegenerative disease
Using cognitive skills while engaging with brain training apps and games, learning a musical instrument, or practicing speaking and listening in a foreign language, helps add layers of protective coating on nerves, Thompson says.
This layer of protection is called myelin.
Myelin is made of fat, protein, and water. MedlinePlus describes it as an insulating layer or sheath. It forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord, and allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.
If myelin is damaged, these impulses slow down, and this can lead to multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects about 1 million people in the US.
Research suggests that Alzheimers disease is also associated with myelin damage.
The more myelin, the harder it is for neurodegenerative conditions to unravel the tissue and cause atrophy, Thompson says. Brain games help add myelin to the tissue and prolong cognitive function as the disease process unfolds. It won’t stop the process, but it may help prolong liveable years and cognitive function.
Thompson Maesaka is a clinician and owner of a neurologic rehab clinic called The Neural Connection. He regularly contributes to The Focus articles.
