Dancing against dementia

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Physically fit in old age, but mentally more and more confused - nobody wants that. It is currently not possible to prevent dementia, but it can be prevented. Researchers at the University Hospital Magdeburg found that dancing is particularly suitable for reducing the risk of dementia. But a lot can also be achieved with diet.

Lots of exercise and a balanced diet - this reduces the likelihood of various diseases - including dementia. However, it also depends a lot on what kind of activity someone does. Because (monotonous) movement alone is not enough for the brain to produce new nerve cells and maintain its performance even in old age. In addition: The thinking organ needs mental training through complex tasks that promote attention and concentration.

Demanding dance

Both points are fulfilled when people shake off the dance floor: "Dancing makes far greater demands on the brain than simple fitness exercises with repetitive, automated movements," explained Professor Notger Müller. In order to be able to better grasp the effect of dancing, the researchers at the University Hospital Magdeburg undertook a small study.

They had half of their 57 study participants complete special dance training in which the test subjects repeatedly learned new steps and figures. The other half completed fitness and strength exercises (control group). Both groups met twice a week for half a year to do sports together for an hour and a half. The average age was 68 years.

Then the data of those participants who had completed at least 70 percent of the training were evaluated. That was around two thirds of the subjects in each group. At the beginning and at the end of the study, the participants completed various examinations, for example cognition tests, blood tests and also brain scans using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Mentally fitter

The result: The dancers' alertness, divided attention and flexibility improved significantly within six months, as shown by the comparison of the cognition tests. With the fitness athletes only the alertness improved significantly, but not more than with the dancer group. The dancers' sense of balance had also improved.

Growth in the brain

Thanks to the brain scans, the researchers were able to determine that the changes were also reflected in the thinking organ at the cellular level. For the dancers, the regions associated with attention and memory and with complex movements had enlarged.

In the control group, other brain regions had grown. For example, the cerebellum, which plays an important role in controlling motor skills, and the occipital lobes in the visual center of the brain, which process visual impulses.

Unclear effect on memory performance

The researchers also found differences between the two groups in the blood serum: only the dancers had a significant increase in the so-called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor that plays an important role in the development of new nerve cells and long-term memory.

Despite this increase, the dancers' memory had not improved visibly. In order to investigate whether this can still be positively influenced by long-term dance training, the study will now continue for another year and a half.

"Our results support the assumption that complex dance training, in which the participants continuously learn new movement sequences, is more efficient at stimulating the production of new nerve cells than physical training with monotonous fitness and strength exercises," the authors write. Physical training should therefore be combined with mental training in order to successfully prevent dementia.

Protection through nutrition

It's not just dancing that prevents dementia. Experts agree that a balanced diet can also provide protection. For example, researchers from the Aging Research Network at Heidelberg University examined the relationship between the risk of Alzheimer's disease and high cholesterol levels. They showed that people with genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease reduced their chances of developing the disease by controlling and lowering their cholesterol levels. A healthy diet is an important building block for this. "Change your lifestyle" - is therefore the appeal of the researchers when it comes to reducing your own risk of dementia.

Because there are still no drugs to prevent dementia, so we have to take the measures we can - such as challenging dancing and a balanced diet.

The sad forgetfulness

Dementia is not just about forgetfulness, but impaired memory is one of its main characteristics. The term dementia encompasses various diseases, all of which are associated with a decline in mental performance and a change in personality. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.

Around 1.2 million people in Germany live with dementia, and around 250,000 new people fall ill every year. The risk increases with age. Only around two percent of all people between the ages of 65 and 69 are affected, and up to 30 percent of those over 90. Women get sick a little more often than men.

Sources:

Muller, N. et al. The effects of six-month exercise programs on gray and white matter brain volumes and balance abilities in seniors: the case for dance training. DGN Congress: Minisymposium: Lifestyle factors in cognitive impairment - a possible approach for intervention studies. 2015

Perna, L. et al. Apolipoprotein E e4 and cognitiv function: a modifiable association? Results from two independent cohort studies. Dementia and Deriatric Cognitive Disoders. 2015. Doi: 10.1159 / 000440697

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