Dancing and Dementia
A landmark 21 year study of 469 seniors measured mental acuity in aging by monitoring rates of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The researchers studied cognitive activities such as reading, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and playing musical instruments. They also studied physical activities like golf, swimming, bicycling, dancing, walking and doing housework.
Significantly, almost none of these activities appeared to protect against dementia: the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing. In terms of reduced risk of dementia, here is how some of the activities, mental and physical, stacked up.
0% Reduced Risk - Bicycling and Swimming
0% Reduced Risk - Golf
35% Reduced Risk - Reading
47% Reduced Risk - Doing crossword puzzles at least 4 days per week
76% Reduced Risk - Dancing frequently
The greatest risk reduction of any activity was dancing frequently, cognitive or physical. The study's authors suggested that the dancers are more resistant to the effects of dementia as a result of having greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses. -The study was led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, and funded by the National Institute on Aging. It was later published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Significantly, almost none of these activities appeared to protect against dementia: the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing. In terms of reduced risk of dementia, here is how some of the activities, mental and physical, stacked up.
0% Reduced Risk - Bicycling and Swimming
0% Reduced Risk - Golf
35% Reduced Risk - Reading
47% Reduced Risk - Doing crossword puzzles at least 4 days per week
76% Reduced Risk - Dancing frequently
The greatest risk reduction of any activity was dancing frequently, cognitive or physical. The study's authors suggested that the dancers are more resistant to the effects of dementia as a result of having greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses. -The study was led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, and funded by the National Institute on Aging. It was later published in the New England Journal of Medicine.