Cognitive decline is a serious affliction that concerns many people – particularly as they start to approach their senior years. The consequences of a declining memory and impaired cognitive function can range from being mildly frustrating at one end of the spectrum to completely devastating and life-restricting at the other. Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia are examples of serious memory impairment that can be extremely challenging for both the individual and surrounding family members. Memory loss is generally regarded by sufferers as the most frustrating component of cognitive decline – followed by frequent mental exhaustion, disorientation, accident-prone, a lack of mental alertness and a decline in general processing speed.
From a neuro-physiological perspective, memory retention and recall is quite a complex area and is governed by a number of brain regions in the temporal, frontal and parietal lobes. While memory is not succinctly controlled by one single brain region, there are a few key structures such as the hippocampus that play a primary role and have been shown to suffer neuronal damage in the brain scans of people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s. We’ll explain the particular relevance of the hippocampus below.
Scientists have made great leaps in terms of their understanding of what goes on inside the brain with cognitive decline as we age and are also starting to shed some light on what the causes are with the more serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. A variety of factors may play a role, such as: a type of type III diabetes involved in brain insulin resistance and resulting inflammation; a genetic predisposition; key nutrient deficiencies such as cholesterol sulphate or vitamin B12; and toxicity from chemical exposure. The ‘use it or lose it’ principle is also clearly a factor when it comes to how much you engage and challenge your brain on a daily basis. However, despite this in-depth understanding, pharmaceutical companies have not yet developed any single, magic treatment to prevent or ultimately cure cognitive degeneration such as with Alzheimer’s. There are, however, a variety of preventative and remedial strategies you can take to help support your situation.
This begs the question – should you be concerned about the onset of cognitive decline? If so, when’s a good time to start addressing this? And most importantly, what activities should you be engaging in?
A recent study published recently in the British Medical Journal showed that cognitive decline in skills such as memory and reasoning is being seen in people as young as 45 (ref: Timing of onset of cognitive decline: results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study, BMJ 2012).
In our view there is no better time to start taking active steps to support your cognitive function and brain health than right now. So what are the best ways to support your cognitive function as you age? We’ll outline what the evidence tells us below and then provide suggestions on what we think is most effective and more importantly, accessible, to support your situation.
What the scientific evidence tells us
One recent study by Kennetha Langa, M.D. Ph.D at the University of Michigan found that the keys to supporting good mental health as you age are cardiovascular health and effective mental stimulation.
In a more rigorous and critical assessment, the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 2010 assessed evidence from all major studies undertaken on cognitive health and concluded that there were only three consistently proven ways to improve cognitive function, namely:
- Cardio-vascular exercise: Simple aerobic exercise, such as taking a brisk walk for 45 minutes a day three times a week, improves episodic memory and executive-control functions by about 20 percent, states Art Kramer of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Meditation: The second activity proven to have cognitive benefits is meditation, which can increase the thickness of regions that control attention and process sensory signals from the outside world. In a program that neuroscientist Amishi Jha of the University of Miami calls mindfulness-based mind-fitness training, participants build concentration by focusing on one object, such as a particular body sensation. The training, she says, has shown success in enhancing mental agility and attention “by changing brain structure and function so that brain processes are more efficient,” the quality associated with higher intelligence.
- Video games: video games have been shown to have a significant benefit on cognitive function and significantly superior to activities such as crosswords. A recent University of Iowa study of hundreds of people aged 50 and older found that those who played a video game were able to improve a range of cognitive skills, and reverse up to seven years of age-related decline (ref: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive Training Using a Visual Speed of Processing Intervention in Middle Aged and Older Adults, PLOS One Journal, 2013).
- Footnote on brain training exercises: Although brain training exercises were not specifically highlighted in the NIH findings, numerous studies provide conflicting evidence as to whether cognitive exercises provide actual underlying cognitive benefits across the range of brain processing skills, rather than just honing that particular cognitive skill.
How applicable and practical are these findings to senior citizens? We all know physical exercise is good for us but often seniors have joint problems or other challenges that make it difficult to engage in regular, effective exercise that properly stimulates the cardiovascular system. Similarly, learning to meditate can be very frustrating in your senior years and most people are unlikely to commit the amount of effort and persistent focus required to receive the proper benefits. Video games may also be impractical or frustrating if you aren’t proficient with technology.
In terms of actually helping to reverse the symptoms of those who have already developed significant cognitive decline, there has been one recent, successful study program undertaken by Dr Dale Bredesen and associates (see Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program, AGING, September 2014, Vol 6 N 9). In this anecdotal study, 9 out of the 10 subjects were able to achieve reversal in memory function following a ‘multi-pronged’ approach of specific supplements, exercise, dietary changes and cognitive stimulation.
So what is the most effective and accessible way to stimulate and engage your brain?
We strongly advocate this multi-pronged approach of focusing on diet, the right supplements, exercise and effective cognitive stimulation. In our view, the best way to stimulate your cognitive function is by listening to properly engineered brainwave entrainment that provides a specific frequency within the Theta frequency range.
The relevance of brainwave entrainment to memory and cognitive function
If you haven’t come across audio brainwave entrainment before, it’s a type of sound therapy that provides an audio ‘pulsed tone’ stimulus to your brain. Through your auditory pathways, specific brain regions will ‘entrain’ to the stimulus (attempt to follow and emulate the sound patterns) and in doing so, your brainwave state follows the frequency provided by the audio stimulus. The great thing about properly engineered audio entrainment is that, under the right conditions, it provides an access point to positively affect your cognitive function. Specific sound frequencies can be used to achieve different desired states such as deep relaxation, learning, memory, new neural pathway growth, increased focus, mood elevation and so on. Even better is the fact that it’s effortless – you just slip on a pair of headphones, sit back and relax while listening.
We mentioned above that stimulation at a particular frequency within Theta can support your memory and cognitive function. Scientists have discovered that for proper memory formation, the brain must undergo a process called long-term potentiation (LTP), involving electrical and chemical changes in the neurons associated with memory. Without LTP, incoming information is not stored, but rather quickly and totally forgotten.
Neurophysiologist Dr. Gary Lynch and associates at the University of California at Irvine discovered that one key aspect of LTP is the Theta brain wave pattern. “We have found the magic rhythm that makes LTP. There’s a magic rhythm, the theta rhythm.” According to Lynch, this is the natural rhythm of the hippocampus, one major component of the brain essential for the formation and storage of new memories and the recall of old memories.” (ref: Lynch, Gary, and Michael Baudry, The Biochemistry of Memory: A New and Specific Hypothesis, Science 224 (1984): 1057-63.)
From an anecdotal perspective, we have a wealth of customer testimonials from seniors who have experienced significant cognitive improvements from listening to our recordings designed to entrain your brain at the Theta frequency. Such changes include substantial improvements in memory (both short and long term), as well as increased mental clarity and processing speed.
Our recommendations to support seniors’ cognitive health
So in our own view, what are the key activities you should consider undertaking right now to best look after your cognitive function and memory.
1. Properly engineered brainwave entrainment: So long as you choose the right product, then brainwave entrainment can be thought of as effortless meditation with additional cognitive benefits. As noted above, meditation is one of the few proven ways to enhance your cognitive function but it requires an extraordinary amount of patience and diligence in the first month or so. Our audio entrainment technology eliminates this problem as it’s effortless – you simply put on a pair of headphones and click ‘play’. We also noted how the Theta brainwave pattern has particular relevance to the hippocampus in your brain (a key region associated with memory recall). The Neural Agility track on our RevitaMind product is excellent for this purpose and provides the essential stimulation at a specific frequency within the Theta range known to support memory, cognitive processing and mental endurance.
To take things up a gear, while listening to this Neural Agility track you could use a visualization to imagine focusing your attention on the hippocampus structure inside your brain. Have a look at this diagram of the hippocampus to the right and see how it is located in the mid-brain and looks a bit like a wishbone with left and right sides. While listening to our Neural Agility track (which provides the essential Theta stimulation), you could actually place your attention on the left and right parts of the hippocampus and visualize them as a pair of lungs. Imagine that with each in-breath, you stimulate and energize your hippocampus. On the out-breath, visualize both sides sending signals to and from the front and back regions of the brain. Place your attention on this area of your head and feel as if it’s really happening as you do this.
2. Cardiovascular exercise: We all know exercise is good for health and there are an overwhelming number of studies now reinforcing this. The key for seniors is to find a form of exercise that is achievable everyday for 45 – 60 minutes yet still provides cardiovascular benefits. Relevant activities you could consider include swimming, brisk walking, elliptical cross-trainers (which tend to be easier on the joints), an exercycle, or something else you feel is appropriate yet effective for your situation.
3. Diet modifications: Your daily food intake can be as important as anything in helping your situation. Ideally minimize sugar, refined carbohydrates (like white bread, pasta, biscuits etc), excess grains and basically anything overly processed and packaged. Instead opt for a diet mainly consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts & seeds, eggs, and good fats (oily fish, some butter, some dairy, olive oil, avocados etc). Another important modification is to keep your eating (including any snacks) to just within a 12 hour window each day – e.g. only eat your above food intake between 8am and 8pm with no snacks in between. This will allow time for your natural fasting and internal repair process known as ‘autophagy’.
4. Key nutrients: Nutritional deficiencies are critical to managing cognitive decline. They are critical in that they can both help prevent cognitive decline but also provide some remedial support if you are already experiencing symptoms. In addition to the suggestions above, taking one or more of the following nutrients through your food intake or supplementation could really help your situation:
i. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: The number one nutrient to consider for your cognitive health is omega 3 fish oil and particularly one of its key components – DHA. The best sources of DHA are to get it from your food in the form of sardines, wild salmon and mackerel – at least three servings a week. Otherwise supplement with a high quality, pharmaceutical grade fish oil or krill oil supplement from the health store and ensure you keep the supplement refrigerated to avoid oxidation.
ii. Vitamin B12: Next you need to ensure an adequate supply of vitamin B12. Ideally through foods such as clams, mussels, mackerel, beef, eggs, or otherwise if you want to take a supplement, ensure it’s the ‘methylcobalamin’ form of B12 (usually found in a sublingual form from your local health store or online). Don’t settle for inferior forms usually included in B complex formulas such as “cyanocobalamin”.
iii. Vitamin D3: Another key nutrient for protecting against cognitive decline is vitamin D3. Ideally you will get this naturally from the sun by exposing your face, arms and legs to 20 – 30 minutes of the sun every day. In terms of food sources, wild salmon has the highest vitamin D levels followed by sardines, mackerel and eggs.
iv. Sulphur-rich foods: Sulphur is an essential mineral which you may not have heard as much about in terms of nutritional deficiency, but it’s starting to gain recognition for its role in cognitive and cardiac health. Dr Stephanie Seneff, a senior scientist at MIT, notes that a deficiency in cholesterol sulphate may be a primary reason why neurons in the brain break down in conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The best two sources of sulphur are free range eggs and broccoli sprouts. Also consider taking magnesium sulphate baths three times a week.
v. Coconut oil: If you are already starting to experience serious memory problems then you should consider taking natural (non-hydogenated) coconut oil. We mentioned at the start of this article how scientists are starting to view dementia as a form of type III diabetes. Pure coconut oil stimulates the liver to produce ‘ketones’ which are an alternative fuel source for the brain instead of glucose and can help the brain to function properly again and in some cases even reverse symptoms of dementia. We suggest buying organic, cold-pressed coconut oil from your local health store and mix two full tablespoons into your cereal or morning coffee each day.
vi. Potent brain antioxidants: The last supplement you should definitely consider taking is a potent antioxidant. The latest research suggests that the origins of Alzheimer’s is thought to be the accumulation of dysfunctional tau proteins that are normally used to facilitate cellular communications. Severe oxidative stress to the mitochondria of these tau cells may be the cause of that dysfunction. Hence it is well worth taking a high quality super-antioxidant like astaxanthin and/or alpha-lipoic acid (both of which, you can get from your local health store) to help protect your brain against this oxidative effect.
*If you would like to try properly engineered brainwave entrainment as part of a complete strategy to support your memory and cognitive function, then RevitaMind has been optimally formulated to meet the needs of senior citizens. The two foundation tracks, Neural Agility and Mind Revitalizer, are an ideal starting point and can be listened to literally every day. As always, it’s advisable to consult with your medical practitioner if you have any concerns whatsoever.