Reading, Writing Lowers Risk of Dementia. Study Shows

Reading, writing or solving puzzles at any age could keep your brain fit in old age, according to a new study.

Many people suffer from memory loss or dementia as they get older. Dementia isn't a specific disease but is a term that describes loss of proper brain functioning that can occur due to many reasons. Dementia generally occurs after 60 years of age and is characterized by loss of memory, language, thinking and reflect behavioral changes. About 24 million people in the world are affected by this condition and this is one of the world's fastest growing diseases.

Taking part in everyday activities too can act as a buffer in cognitive decline. People with high intellectual ability remain mentally healthy for a long time, well into their grey days, a study in American Psychological Association had earlier said.

In the latest study, experts found that an active brain may avoid dementia in later stages of life.

The study included 294 people who were given various tests that gauged their memory and cognitive abilities. The participants took these tests every year for about six years before their death. The participants also answered questionnaires that questioned them about their reading habits and if they participated in any brain simulating activity during childhood, teenage or middle-age.

After their death, researchers even examined their brains for signs of dementia such as lesions or plaques in the brain.

They found that people who kept their brains active-either via reading or any other activity- were less likely to have dementia when compared to people who hadn't participated in such activities.

"Our study suggests that exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person's lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age," said Robert S. Wilson, PhD, with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and one of the study authors.

"Based on this, we shouldn't underestimate the effects of everyday activities, such as reading and writing, on our children, ourselves and our parents or grandparents," Wilson said in a news release.

The study is published in the journal Neurology.