Don't overwork your brain in your youth!?
Posted by: Uticopa in Alzheimers on Apr 20, 2009
Scientists are now saying that some of us will develop Alzheimer's disease in old age because our brains worked too hard when we were younger.
A study has found that in young people genetically predisposed to the degenerative disease, the brain's memory hub is hyperactive. This raises the possibility that some develop Alzheimer's because their memory is simply worn out.
The brain activity of young people with the common gene APOE4 - that can greatly increase the odds of Alzheimer's - was compared with to those without the APOE4 gene. The young volunteers did equally well on tasks which tested their general mental skills, but subsequent scans revealed the brains of those with the APOE4 gene worked harder when set a memory task, and also when at rest.
It is certainly true that our brains are always active - our minds wandering even when we're not doing anything physical.
Not all APOE4-carriers go on to develop Alzheimer's but it seems reasonable to say that in some people the memory part of the brain effectively becomes exhausted from overwork, and this contributes to the disease.
This theory is supported by studies that have found the opposite pattern in people who have already developed Alzheimer's showing less activity than normal in the memory part of the brain.
But, many might say that if all this were absolutely true, Alzheimer sufferers would comprise a great deal of former academics, teachers, bank managers...indeed, anyone who in their working life needed to exercise the maximum of brain work to achieve their goals. Also, we wouldn't want to give school children any excuses for not working to their maximum potential.
Similarly, just because our old people homes are not filled with former athletes and health nutritionists is no reason not to exercise or to eat well in our youth.
It is clear that the causes of Alzheimer's are just as complex as other health issues - both genetic and environmental. And, if we can understand these better, we can enhance efforts to help people lower their risk.
The scientists say the above startling study about overworking our brains in our youth could pave the way for a test capable of spotting future dementia patients while they are still young and healthy. Those at high risk could be offered early treatment or given lifestyle advice to help them.
In the meantime, we can all reduce our risk of developing dementia by maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly and keeping our brains reasonably active, particularly through social activities.
