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Can Memory Training Help
When Dementia Is Setting In?
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"Does memory training
help if dementia is setting in? Or, are these totally unrelated?"
I got this question from a genleman who had just got some disturbing
news after a CAT (Computer Assisted Tomography) scan. He
wold start receiving medication for his onsetting dementia -- but
also wondered if there was anything he could do himself.
Dear F,
Thanks for your email. I'm sorry to hear about your cat scan results.
Life can be awfully hard sometimes.
That said, from my reading, it seems to me that memory training
does help when dementia is setting in. In fact, training the brain
in all sorts of ways seem to have some effects -- like solving
crossword puzzles, memorizing poetry, playing chess, whatever
it is you find challenging and fun.
If it is possible for you, keeping the body in as good a
shape as possible is also good for memory. Going for walks
is great, if you can.
Getting enough sleep and nutritious food is also
important, of course. It's the old "healthy mind in a healthy
body"-thing, that seems well supported by current research.
There is nothing we know that can stop the onset of dementia --
but as I've said, it seems possible to delay the effects -- both
by training and medication.
There's one trick I've heard people with dementia have been using
quite succesfully to remember things -- and that is to create
a song from the words they want to remember. Putting a
melody to words seems to help the brain remember, for some reason.
I hope this helps a bit.
Sincerely,
Sten
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