Think those memories destroyed by Alzheimer’s have been shattered, damaged and ruined? Think again. New research at M.I.T. has found that memories destroyed by Alzheimer’s disease and other kinds of dementia are still there, but cannot be accessed because of neural degeneration.
“The research raises the prospect that treatments for Alzheimer’s and similar conditions might eventually not only stop patients’ mental decline, but reverse damage that has already taken place.”
The research of Li-Huei Tsai indicates that damage to the brain may be interfering with Alzheimer’s patients’ ability to retrieve and use their memories.
Dr Tsai said. “This recovery of long-term memory was really the most remarkable finding. It suggests that memories are not really erased in such disorders as Alzheimer’s, but that they are rendered inaccessible and can be recovered.”
Cognitive restructuring can enhance gains brought by new medications as well as natural remedies.
The scientists discovered that enriching the environment of the mice with treadmills for exercise and colorful toys of many different textures significantly improved learning and memory, and appeared to build new connections between nerve cells in the brain.
This research supports a basic premise of Sparks of Genius, where students young and old “work out” and use the power of brain training. We believe that cognitive restructuring can enhance gains brought by new medications as well as natural remedies.
Brain training leads to increased confidence, new abilities, and lays in mental strategies to neutralize the fear of decline. The 5-4-9 formula is customized for each student. http://sparksofgenius.com/sparks.html. You’re never too old to learn.
As we build the Sparks of Genius Community, more neuroscientists and neuropsychologists are echoing our theme of brain fitness, defying labels, and moving beyond limitations set by others.
Like Dr. Merzenich, who asks “Why not fix it before it breaks?” and Dr. Paul Nussbaum (download his pdf here) we believe that intensive brain training holds the promise of actually preventing changes that lead to the onset of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Of course, there is more to it than mental stimulation, such as exercising regularly, maintaining a sense of purpose, increasing spirituality, etc. Check out Dr. Nussbaum’s 10 Tips here.
Incidentally, the M.I.T. scientists also got positive results giving mice a drug known as an HDAC inhibitor, which promotes nerve cell growth.
After receiving the environmental enrichment or the drug therapy, the M.I.T. mice recovered their lost memories. What would happen if they received both?
I agree with Dr. Michael Merzenich that an ideal drug would be a medication (or natural remedy) which would not only arrest cognitive decline but actually enable brain plasticity-driven rejuvenation.
Either way, many adults who “work out” at the Sparks of Genius Electronic Playground and at home can decrease, stop, or even reverse cognitive decline as they train their brain for daily successes.
– Dr. Rohn Kessler, Ed. D.
