Studying sastra keeps Alzheimers at bay

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A side benefit of studying sastra daily.

<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> Active Minds May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay

01.23.07, 12:00 AM ET TUESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time, scientists have shown that learning slows the build-up in the brain of protein plaques and tangles that are the signature of Alzheimer's disease. Although the study was conducted in mice, it does reinforce the idea that, in humans, maintaining an active mind may help delay or even prevent Alzheimer's disease.

"This has shown for the first time that using your brain can protect you physically," said Kim Green, co-lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Irvine. "We show that when you do this, it causes changes in the brain, and these changes are protective."

"It's an interesting study, and part of what it does is advance the notion that mental exercise has a protective effect against Alzheimer's," said Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, about 4.5 million Americans have the brain-robbing disorder, a number that has more than doubled since 1980. Many more suffer from cognitive impairment, which could be a harbinger of Alzheimer's.

Many experts believe that Alzheimer's is caused by a steady accumulation of amyloid plaque proteins in the brain.

Previous studies had shown that "mental exercise" could delay the onset of the disease, but the proof came only in the form of memory and other cognitive testing measures.

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