How cognitive reserve protects against Alzheimer's

What I'm reading: An article in last week's issue of New Scientist, titled, "We may finally know how cognitive reserve protects against Alzheimer's."

The background: It’s a strange fact that some people have all the physiology of Alzheimer's — the protein tangles and plaques in the brain — but none of the actual symptoms. One explanation for this is cognitive reserve — a fancy way of saying that the more you use your brain, the less likely you are to lose it.

For example, studies have shown that people with higher education or more intellectually challenging occupations are less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Those who are bilingual are equally as likely to eventually develop Alzheimer's as single-language speakers, but will hold off the disease for longer.

So what's the news? Scientists are gradually figuring out the neural underpinnings of how cognitive reserve protects the brain. It seems that cognitively challenging activities increase levels of specific proteins, such as NRN1, which in turn help to create new synapses or preserve existing ones. It's possible that, in time, this research will lead to new, direct treatments to prevent or possibly even cure Alzheimer's disease.

What you can do until then: Stay socially and intellectually engaged. Pick up new hobbies. Read and write. Keep working. Spend time interacting with other people, including strangers.

This might sound like basic, generic advice, but it's all been shown to build up cognitive reserve and reduce your chances of dementia. And in case you want more sensible brain advice, and a deeper look into the state of the research, the New Scientist article is worth a read.