More than 33% of women and 20% of men over age 65 develop
dementia, and many more develop a milder form of cognitive
impairment. I think we can all appreciate the huge impact
dementia has on the medical system and more importantly on the
individuals and family members involved. Many of my patients who
have loved ones experiencing cognitive decline ask me: Is there
any way to prevent this from happening to me? Is there truth to
the old adage "use it or lose it?" While there are risk factors
for dementia we can't change (such as family history and age) we
should focus on those risk factors we can change. Does using
your mind an hour a day really help prevent inevitable cognitive
decline and dementia? Well, at the annual meeting of the
American Academy of Neurology, data from a large trial suggests
this may be the case. Older adults with normal cognition
(memory, attention, perception) who participated in a mental
fitness program for 1 hour a day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks
demonstrated significant improvements i