Page 78 - Javanan Magazine Issue # 1915

PSYCHOLOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES ISSUE No. 1915
PERSPECTIVES
ISSUE No. 1856
JAVANAN
JAVANAN
Dr. Alan A.
Modarressi ARE YOU SLOWING DOWN
Clinical and Walking Slower as You Age May be a Health-
Neuro-Psychologyst
Related Sign

In general, a slower walking as you was for "dual decliners," or people Yet despite those findings, "gait dys- the volume of the right anterior hip-
age has always been a warning sign of who not only walked more sluggishly function has not been considered an pocampus by 2%, thus reversing
increasing frailty that could lead to but also showed some signs of cogni- early clinical feature in patients with age-related loss in the organ by one
falls and other disabilities, experts say. tive decline, said Dr. Joe Verghese, Alzheimer's disease," Verghese wrote. to two years in a 2011 randomized
Emerging research in small groups of
elderly subjects has also found that
a slower gait from year to year may
be an early sign of cognitive decline.
That may be due to shrinking in the
right hippocampus, which is the part of
the brain associated with memory, ac-
cording to a study published Tuesday
in the journal JAMA Network Open.
But not all signs of cognitive de-
cline predict later dementia -- only
10% to 20% of people age 65 or older
with mild cognitive impairment or
MCI develop dementia over the next
year, according to the National Insti-
tute on Aging. "In many cases, the
symptoms of MCI may stay the same
or even improve," the institute states.
Now, a large, new study of nearly
17,000 adults over age 65 finds people
who walk about 5% slower or more
each year while also exhibiting signs
of slower mental processing were
most likely to develop dementia.
"These results highlight the impor-
tance of gait in dementia risk assess-
ment," wrote corresponding author
Taya Collyer, a research fellow at
Peninsula Clinical School at Monash a professor of geriatrics and neurol- Exercise may help-There are clinical trial. In comparison, people
University in Victoria, Australia.
The new study followed a group of ogy at the Albert Einstein College things we can do as we age to re- who only did stretching exercises
Americans over 65 and Australians of Medicine in Bronx, New York, verse the brain shrinkage that comes had an approximate decline of about
over 70 for seven years. Every other who was not involved in the study. along with typical aging. Studies 1.43% over the same time period.
year, people in the study were asked "Furthermore, dual decliners have found that aerobic exercise in- Aerobic exercise means with "air,"
to take cognitive tests that measured had a higher risk of dementia than creases the size of the hippocampus, and is a type of workout where heart
overall cognitive decline, memory, those with either gait or cognitive increasing some aspects of memory. rate and breathing increase, but not
processing speed and verbal fluency. decline alone," Verghese wrote in Buried deep in the brain's tem- so much that you cannot continue to
Twice every other year, sub- an accompanying editorial pub- poral lobe, the hippocampus is an function. Types of aerobic exercise
jects were also asked to walk 3 lished Tuesday in the JAMA journal. oddly shaped organ that is respon- can include brisk walking, swimming,
meters, or about 10 feet. The two A dual association between sible for learning, consolidating running, biking, dancing and kickbox-
results were then averaged to de- walking speed and memory de- memories and spatial navigation, ing, as well as all the cardio machines
termine the person's typical gait. cline is predictive of later demen- such as the ability to remember di- at your local gym, such as a treadmill,
At the end of the study, research- tia, a 2020 meta-analysis of near- rections, locations, and orientations. elliptical trainer, rower or stair climber.
ers found the highest risk of dementia ly 9,000 American adults found. Aerobic exercise training increased

DANESH FOROUGHI, PH.D. Alan Modarressi, PhD, QME
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PSY13680 Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage, Family & Child Psychotherapist, MFC23455 Qualified Medical Evaluator
Certified National Board of Addiction Examiners #4974 Certified Psychophsychologist
Tel: (310) 940-3642 Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management

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