How Reading and Writing Preserve Memory in Older Age

A recent study has found that engaging in mental activities as simple as reading and writing can significantly reduce the rate of cognitive decline in seniors. Older adults who were mentally active throughout their lifetime experienced the lowest rate of memory loss.

Researchers from the Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center gathered 294 older adults to participate in the study. The participants were given a survey to determine how frequently they read books, wrote, or did any other similar activities when they were a child, through adolescence, in middle age, and at their current age.

The seniors were then tested for their memory and other mental abilities every year until they died. Older adults on average, participated in the study for 6 years. The participants also agreed to allow their brain tissue to be examined after they passed.

The researchers found that the rate of cognitive decline among older adults who frequently engaged in mental activity was 32 percent lower than individuals with average mental activity.

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