SAN FRANCISCO: Engaging in mentally stimulating activities, such as doing crafts and using a computer, is associated with lower risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older patients, a new prospective cohort study shows.
“The bottom line is that even in late age, even after age 70, if you engage in these activities, it potentially protects you against developing incident MCI, which has a very high risk for dementia,” said study author Yonas Geda, MD, co-investigator, Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.
The benefits of being cognitively engaged were even seen among apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers.
The results were released March 3, ahead of their presentation at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2016 Annual Meeting next month.
A previous cross-sectional study by Dr Geda and his colleagues had shown an association between late-life mentally stimulating activities and decreased risk for MCI.
This, said Dr Geda, generated a hypothesis that researchers wanted to test further. “Sometimes cross-sectional studies may not pan out in a cohort study.”