Use it or lose it. (updates).(research indicates mental activity prevents Alzheimer's disease)(Brief Article)

People who regularly read books, do crossword puzzles or otherwise exercise their brains are significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, reports a study involving 801 elderly Catholic priests, nuns and brothers.

Researchers at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago studied participants aged 65 and older from 40 religious orders and societies. The subjects were tested to determine how often they took part in various brain-stimulating activities: listening to the radio; reading newspapers, magazines or books; playing cards or board games; doing puzzles; and going to museums. They were followed for almost four years, annually taking a battery of tests to evaluate memory, language and other indications of brain function.

Researchers reported in the February 13, 2002 Journal of the American Medical Association that, on average, those who said they frequently take part in mentally stimulating activities were 47 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who rarely do so.

Study director David Bennett says researchers also found that the rate ...