Old
dogs offer new tricks
for keeping the mind sharp
February 6, 2005 (Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
-- Aging beagles supplied with a diet rich in nutrients found in
fruits and vegetables, given exercise, and social and environmental
stimulation remained more youthful and smarter than canines given
run-of-the-mill treatment, a new study from the National Institute
of Aging (NIA) reports. The report, published in the scientific
journal Neurobiology of Aging, offers new insights into a range of
factors that may keep the brain in peak condition into old age in
humans as well.
While "obviously not people," notes study leader Dr. William Milgram,
professor of psychology at the University of Toronto in Canada,
"dogs have similar brain structures, develop similar brain
pathologies, have similar nutritive requirements, and live in
similar environments." Diet, exercise, social interaction, and
mental stimulation are often cited in studies of people as ways to
keep the mind sharp and perhaps even help to
ward
off the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. This study looked at these
various potential brain-boosting components in various combinations.
In
the study, researchers divided 48 older beagles, ages 7 to 11, into
four groups. One group received regular dog food and standard care.
The second group got a nutrient-rich special diet fortified with
vitamins E and C from tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and citrus fruits,
providing the equivalent of five or six servings of fruits and
vegetables a day. The third group got standard dog food but an
environment enriched by daily contact and play with other dogs,
regular exercise, and special toys and games. The fourth group got
both the enriched diet and environmental stimulation.
Over the next two years, the dogs were regularly tested with
increasingly difficult mental acuity tasks, such as learning how to
uncover treats under black or white- blocks. Those dogs who got the
enriched diets, exercise, and social stimulation performed much
better on these tests than those given standard care. Having any one
of the enrichments, such as a nutrient-dense diet, exercise, or
environmental stimulation, also improved results, but not as much as
having all three.
"This research brings a note of optimism that there are things that
we can do that may significantly improve our
cognitive
health," says Dr. Molly Wagster, Ph.D., program director of the
NIA's Neuropsychology of Aging Branch. "In this case, more was
better. Although each factor alone was capable of improving
cognitive function in older animals, the combination was additive,
pointing to a healthy lifestyle as the most beneficial approach.
While we have yet to demonstrate these benefits in people, research
such as this gives us new ways to think about the aging brain and
what we can do to keep it intact."
The study highlights a growing body of evidence that proper diet,
plenty of exercise, and mental stimulation may help to keep the mind
sharp as we age. While no one food or treatment can ward
off Alzheimer's, doctors are hopeful that lifestyle measures such as
these can help to keep the aging brain more youthful and alert. The
Fisher Center for Alzheimer Research Foundation's and its
Alzheimer's Information Site, alzinfo.org, continue to lead the way
in a search for a cure .
To Contact Us, Click here
Copyright (C) 1999-2012 TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
health," says Dr. Molly Wagster, Ph.D., program director of the
NIA's Neuropsychology of Aging Branch. "In this case, more was
better. Although each factor alone was capable of improving
cognitive function in older animals, the combination was additive,
pointing to a healthy lifestyle as the most beneficial approach.
While we have yet to demonstrate these benefits in people, research
such as this gives us new ways to think about the aging brain and
what we can do to keep it intact." 