丁香园AV

A by researchers from the Digital Health Circle (DHC), an innovation hub affiliated with 丁香园AV (丁香园AV), 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鈥檚 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鈥攍ower the risk of cognitive decline.

Over three years, Moreno led a team of researchers, including lead author Ali Arab鈥攁n 丁香园AV 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. 

鈥淭he 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,鈥� says Moreno, a professor in 丁香园AV鈥檚 School of Interactive Arts and Technology, and a computational neuroscientist.

Jen Lyle, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C., applauds the research team, saying that 鈥渁dvancing our knowledge about how we might reduce our risk of developing dementia helps all of us to start now, to do what we can to support our cognitive health.鈥�

The study is encouraging for advocates of 鈥榮ocial prescribing,鈥� the medical practice of prescribing lifestyle activities (such as those noted in the study) for patients to undertake along with, or instead of, medical or other interventions.

Social prescribing is already championed as a form of alternative treatment by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the U.K. It recognizes that people鈥檚 health is determined primarily by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, and seeks to address people鈥檚 needs in a holistic way. 

Social prescribing is in its infancy in North America, with only a few pilot-test sites across the continent. The study鈥檚 findings open up the potential of developing evidence-based social prescribing practices in the North American context and provide further justification for their use in the U.K.

鈥淭his study shows that even mild to moderate activity, such as gardening and walking, and learning such as music and art, can improve cognitive function in our seniors,鈥� says Dr. Grace Park, regional medical director, Fraser Health. 鈥淪ocial prescribing can help seniors to engage in these activities by addressing barriers and setting achievable goals for the seniors.鈥�

鈥淎s Dr. Park described, the research shows that social prescribing can have a positive impact on an older adult鈥檚 wellbeing when included as part of their overall health and wellness plan,鈥� said Kahir Lalji, executive director, United Way British Columbia.

鈥淭aking a distinctly holistic approach, social prescribing acts as a pathway for older adult patients from their doctor鈥檚 office to a local social prescribing program which connects the patient to a community program, such as a nutrition or food security program or a health or fitness program.

鈥淲hat we have discovered is that older adults who would not normally seek such services are led to a local community program that has shown to improve their quality of life鈥攈elping them thrive and remain connected and independent for as long as possible. At Healthy Aging, we aim to grow this practice across British Columbia and currently we have 19 community agencies delivering the program throughout the province.鈥�

The study builds on professor Moreno鈥檚 expertise in neuroplasticity鈥攖he brain鈥檚 ability to change and adapt itself over the lifespan鈥攁s well as 丁香园AV computing science professor Martin Ester鈥檚 expertise in creating machine learning systems to analyze health data.