You probably know the feeling of walking into a room and forgetting why.
Most of us notice small lapses as we get older and wonder what we can actually do about them.
The usual answers are vague, and the specific ones can feel like homework.
A trial of 11,500 older adults, published in The Lancet Primary Care, found that simple everyday activities were linked to preserved thinking skills over a year.
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Reading, puzzles, music and time with friends topped the list, with no pill, program or clinic required.
The trial, called Active Brains, was run by researchers at the University of Southampton. It followed people aged 60 to 85 who already had mild to severe cognitive impairment at the start.
How the study was set up
Participants were split into three groups. One got standard written advice on cognitive health. A second was directed to the Active Brains website, which promoted brain games, puzzles, physical activity and a Mediterranean-style diet.
The third group got the same website plus three short phone or email check-ins with a nurse. All three groups were followed for 12 months.
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After 12 months, 28 percent of the standard-advice group no longer showed signs of cognitive impairment.
In the website-only group that figure was just under 33 percent. In the website-plus-support group it was about 32 percent.
For people who started the trial with cognitive impairment, the extra support brought an 18 percent reduction in severe cognitive impairment compared with the control group.
The same group also saw an 8 percent reduction in mild cognitive impairment.
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The habits linked to a healthier brain
The activities built into the program were ordinary ones. Brain games and crosswords. Reading. Listening to music or playing an instrument. Social activities like being in a choir or seeing friends. Learning a language.
That picture lines up with longstanding guidance from the US National Institute on Aging, which says staying mentally and socially engaged is associated with better cognitive health in later life.
Our earlier coverage looked at how daily reading may affect your brain.
Earlier research has tested intensive multi-week brain-training programs with promising results. But those are hard to deliver through primary care, which is why the Southampton team tested lighter, everyday approaches instead.
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What the results do and do not show
The trial has limits. It was an open-label study, meaning participants knew which group they were in.
Even the control group got some advice and cognitive testing that may have nudged behavior on its own, which the authors say probably narrowed the gap between groups.
The findings point to association, not a guarantee. Not everyone who read more or joined a choir reversed their decline, and the biggest gains came in the people who got some human support alongside the website.
Still, the trial adds to a growing body of evidence that keeping the brain used helps keep it working.
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The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention listed social isolation and physical inactivity among 14 modifiable dementia risk factors across the life course.
Anyone noticing memory changes that interfere with daily life should talk to their doctor.
For the everyday forgetfulness that comes with age, the Active Brains results point to simpler habits like opening a book, calling a friend, or signing up for a choir.
This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.