Foundations

Mental Calculations: A Key to Building Your Cognitive Reserve!

Building cognitive reserve through activities like mental math, problem-solving, and lifelong learning can significantly boost brain resilience, delay Alzheimer’s-related changes, and enhance overall well-being. Research highlights that early cognitive stimulation fosters lasting benefits by reducing harmful brain changes and improving cognitive performance later in life. 

Strong numeracy skills not only sharpen mental processing but also equip adults to make better life choices, promoting emotional health and life satisfaction. Moreover, mental arithmetic activates critical brain regions like the prefrontal and parietal cortices, enhancing brain efficiency and processing speed. Together, these findings underscore the transformative power of lifelong mental engagement in building cognitive reserve, improving brain function, and ensuring healthier, happier aging.

"Boost your brain's resilience with early cognitive enrichment! Studies show activities like learning and problem-solving early in life can delay Alzheimer's and keep your mind sharp for years to come."

A study published in JAMA Neurology reveals that engaging in cognitive activities early in life—such as learning, reading, and problem-solving—can slow cognitive decline in old age. Participants with enriched early-life experiences performed better on cognitive tests later in life and exhibited fewer Alzheimer’s-related brain changes, including reduced amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. This research emphasizes the long-term impact of early cognitive engagement in supporting brain health and reducing Alzheimer’s risk.

Reference: 

Association of early‐life cognitive enrichment with Alzheimer disease pathological changes and cognitive decline. Oveisgharan S, Wilson RS, Yu L, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. JAMA Neurol. 2020;77(10):1217‐1224. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.1941

"Strong number skills help seniors make better life choices, leading to a healthier and happier life."

This study highlights the importance of numerical skills in the well-being of older adults, linking better number comprehension and mental calculation abilities to improved emotional happiness and a greater sense of purpose. It shows that cognitive reserve, built through education, vocabulary knowledge, and engaging in active leisure activities, strengthens these numerical abilities and contributes to overall well-being. Older adults with higher numeracy are better equipped to handle daily challenges, reduce stress, and maintain life satisfaction. The findings emphasize the role of lifelong education and mental stimulation in promoting healthier aging and enhancing the quality of life in later years.

Reference: 

Numeracy Skills, Cognitive Reserve, and Psychological Well-Being: What Relationship in Late Adult Lifespan?, Melis et al. Behav. Sci. 2020, 10(11), 176; doi: 10.3390/bs10110176

"Scientific studies suggest that mental arithmetic activates multiple regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, boosting overall brain activity and processing speed."

Scientific studies indicate that mental arithmetic engages multiple regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, which plays a critical role in working memory, attention, and decision-making. This activation not only boosts overall brain activity but also enhances the coordination and efficiency of neural processes involved in problem-solving. Over time, the brain adapts by developing specialized pathways, particularly in the parietal cortex, to optimize arithmetic processing. These findings highlight how mental calculation serves as a powerful cognitive exercise, improving both brain function and processing speed.

Reference: 

(1) Functional Clusters in the Prefrontal Cortex During Mental Arithmetic, K. Çiftçi, B. Sankur, Y. P. Kahya and A. Akin, 2008 16th European Signal Processing Conference, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2008, pp. 1-4. 

(2) S.M. Rivera, A.L. Reiss, M.A. Eckert, V. Menon, Developmental Changes in Mental Arithmetic: Evidence for Increased Functional Specialization in the Left Inferior Parietal Cortex, Cerebral Cortex, Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2005, Pages 1779–1790, doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhi055

ADDITIONAL READING MATERIAL:

Association of early‐life cognitive enrichment with Alzheimer disease pathological changes and cognitive decline.; Oveisgharan S, Wilson RS, Yu L, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. JAMA Neurol. 2020;77(10):1217‐1224. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.1941 doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.1941 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Ageing without dementia: can stimulating psychosocial and lifestyle experiences make a difference?; Fratiglioni L, Marseglia A, Dekhtyar S. Lancet Neurol. 2020;19(6):533‐543. doi: 10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30039-9 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Occupational complexity and cognition in the FINGER multidomain intervention trial.; Rydström A, Darin‐Mattsson A, Kåreholt I, et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2022;18(12):2438‐2447. doi: 10.1002/alz.12561 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Social health and cognitive change in old age: role of brain reserve; Marseglia A, Kalpouzos G, Laukka EJ, et al. Ann Neurol. 2023;93(4):844‐855. doi: 10.1002/ana.26591 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]