Healthline Today: Dementia

In this week's Healthline Today, Dr. Jim Lenhart takes a closer look at dementia, and the role games can play in brain exercise.

Dementia is a growing global epidemic with substantial associated personal, social, and economic costs. The incidence of dementia may reach 100 million persons by 2050 leading public health officials to call for interventions to prevent or slow intellectual decline.

Here’s some news that may surprise you. Researchers at Union College studied the effects of exergaming on adults with mild memory deficits.  You may best know exergaming as the Wii Fit or PlayStation Move, those high tech, interactive videogames shown to increase frequency and intensity of exercise by embedding friendly competition and three-dimensional scenery into the action.

Research has shown that exercise inhibits cognitive decline, so investigators at Union College wondered if coupling physical exercise with computer-simulated environments and interactive videogames, so called exergames, might improve brain function and prevent memory decline even more effectively.

Here’s how they studied it. Volunteers aged 55 years or older were screened for neurologic disorders and functional disabilities that would restrict cognitive testing or exercise making them ineligible for the study. Qualified participants were then randomized into the cybercycle exergame group or the traditional exercise group.

True to the research question, the cybercycle exergame group demonstrated significant improvement in executive function and a 23% risk reduction in progression to memory impairment when compared to traditional exercisers. The researchers attributed this in part to finding increased levels of a biochemical substance called BDNF in the cybercycle group. 
But before you rush out and buy a Wii Fit or Play Station Move remember that this is but one study conducted on a population of only 109 participants. Nonetheless, it did show that for older adults, virtual reality exercise or “cybercycling” three times per week for 3 months yielded greater cognitive benefit than a similar dose of traditional exercise.
 
For questions or comments email me drjim@drjimshealthline.com then Be Health!  Be Happy! And join me next time on Healthline Today!

(DISCLAIMER): Opinions on this station and the web of Dr. Jim Lenhart are educational and informational and are not a diagnosis, treatment or substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a physician or health care professional for your health or medical needs.