A recent study published in Neurology - read the abstract here - has been highlighted recently in the press, including in this Washington Post article. The general conclusion, from the abstract:
Lifetime exposure to cognitive enrichment was related to lower risk of AD dementia and a slower rate of cognitive decline, including after adjustment for common ADRD pathologies, indicating higher resilience provided by lifetime enrichment. Our results suggest that cognitive health in later life is in part the product of lifetime exposure to cognitive enrichment.
An excerpt from expert commentary in the WaPo article, which also cited some other recent studies in the area:
The findings nod to the concept of “cognitive reserve”— the idea, popularized by Columbia University neuropsychologist Yaakov Stern, that the brain can adapt to damage or aging by relying on alternative networks or strategies. The theory is that mentally demanding activities over a lifetime may strengthen neural connections, giving the brain more flexibility to compensate.
The Neurology study apparently cited chess as particularly impactful among older people, although practicing it as a complex skill - similar to playing a musical instrument or learning a foreign language - has value in exercising your cognitive functions at any stage of life. What all these practices have in common is the requirement for "effortful study" to both improve and maintain a higher level of performance.
While the intrinsic motivation to excel at something you enjoy doing is probably the most powerful impulse for chess improvement, it is certainly good to have more indications that positive brain health outcomes are also associated with it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments and ideas on chess training and this site are welcomed. Moderation is turned on as an anti-spam measure; your comment will be published as soon as possible, if it is not spam.