A few years ago a study showed that some people, despite having lesions in the brain compatible with the deterioration that is generated in Alzheimer’s disease, did not present symptoms.
I mean, they had a very deteriorated brain but it was still working well! This evidence gave rise to investigations that finally generated an important concept: Cognitive Reserve .
Advertisements
The Cognitive Reserve refers to the ability of our brain to continue to function properly even when it has deteriorated, something like one of those cars that have been damaged over the years, they are rusty, the paint faded, the engine looks bad , but it starts at the touch and drives us perfectly.
This ability of our brain to continue to function properly despite the damage is what we know as Cognitive Reserve, and it allows us to understand why some people with exactly the same level of brain damage present so different clinical manifestations, to the point that one can present symptoms of dementia, while the other continues to function normally.
Activities to have a better brain
Given the evidence that we have mentioned before, one of the first steps we can take is to increase our cognitive reserve, and this can be done in multiple ways, some of them are those that we mention below:
- Carry out recreational and leisure activities; ideally those in which pleasant emotions are generated, what we like and draws a smile on our face and spirit.
- Hold an occupation or job; Multiple studies have shown that staying active at work improves our cognitive reserve.
Continue generating in our brain ideas that are projected at us, that make us look for solutions, that pose us needs to improve … the key is that it is a job that we enjoy, not one that tortures us.
- Maintain social relationships; continue to establish conversations with our friends, attend activities, and above all not isolate ourselves.
- Learn something new; It can be a language, some manual activity, playing an instrument, in short, any activity that activates our neurons and makes us “move” our brain.
These are four very simple activities that have abundant scientific evidence about their usefulness, it is not about drugs or medical procedures, it is about making decisions and doing it; for his brain and especially for his quality of life.
