Older adults practicing yoga.
Older adults practicing yoga. A new study by researchers from the Digital Health Circle (DHC), an innovation hub affiliated with Simon Fraser University (SFU), has determined there is a causal relationship between participating in certain lifestyle activities and preventing a decline in cognitive health. Protecting cognitive health is key for healthy aging and for deterring illnesses such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease. The study, led by DHC Director Sylvain Moreno, shows that moderate-intensity physical activity, such as gardening or walking, and learning activities such as music and art classes-lower the risk of cognitive decline. Over three years, Moreno led a team of researchers, including lead author Ali Arab-an SFU graduate student in computing science and the Computational Health Research Lab, as they tracked the brain health of more than 4,000 older adults. They used a machine-learning algorithm and the English Longitudinal Study of Aging database to study the benefits of certain lifestyle factors while also controlling for confounding effects which, in the past, have prevented researchers from making more definitive causal connections. "The global population of older adults is growing, and the finding that lifestyle activities can help prevent cognitive health decline in seniors could lead to new clinical practices and better health outcomes for Canadians and beyond," says Moreno, a professor in SFU's School of Interactive Arts and Technology, and a computational neuroscientist.
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