This month’s Neural Nugget blog comes from the article Association of Social Support With Brain Volume and Cognition. The researchers embarked on an intellectual odyssey to unravel the mysteries of cognitive resilience, the brain’s natural shield against the impacts of aging and diseases.
Now we are not talking about the Fountain of Youth, but this study represents a really cool brain health hack. The article says that elevating your social support is one of the best ways to turn back your brain age. That’s right folks, having someone you can count on to listen to you when you need to talk may be more crucial to brain health than you think.
What is cognitive resilience, you ask? Picture cognitive resilience as a superhero cape that our brains wear, letting them function better than expected despite the inevitable signs of physical aging or even disease-related brain changes. Many neurologists believe we can charge up this cape with mentally stimulating activities, regular exercise, and positive social interactions.
Leading the research, Dr. Joel Salinas, a distinguished neurology professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, describes cognitive resilience as a buffer to brain aging and diseases. With around 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s—a progressive disease that mainly affects those over 65 and hampers memory, language, decision-making, and independent living—the significance of this research is tremendous.
But here’s where things get really interesting: the results indicate that even people younger than 65 can benefit from evaluating their social support. For every notch of decline in brain volume, individuals in their 40s and 50s with low listener availability showed a cognitive age that was four years older compared to those with high listener availability. You heard it, simply having a dependable listener could potentially turn back your brain’s age!
“These four years can be incredibly precious. We often think about protecting our brain health when we’re much older, after we’ve already lost a lot of time to build and sustain brain-healthy habits,” warns Salinas.
So, today, right this very moment, ask yourself: do you truly have someone who listens to you in a supportive way? Extend the question to your loved ones, too. Taking this simple action could set the wheels in motion for better long-term brain health and the highest quality of life possible.
So there you have it, the science-backed excuse to have more deep, meaningful conversations! It’s not just good for the soul but potentially instrumental in ensuring your brain ages like a fine wine. It’s time to embrace our social networks and increase our cognitive resilience!
