UCI Health dementia expert weighs in on maintaining brain health as we age

 

IN THE NEWS: The brain-strengthening properties of word games and puzzles are a matter of debate, but that’s no reason to stop doing them, says UCI Health dementia expert Dr. Claudia Kawas. She spoke to the Los Angeles Times about what keeps the brain healthy as we age.

“A healthy lifestyle involves physical and cognitive activities. I don’t think it’s about any particular activity, but the more the brain is challenged, probably the better it is.”

Kawas, a UCI professor of neurology, neurobiology and behavior and a geriatric neurologist with UCI MIND and the UCI Health SeniorHealth Center, is the lead investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded 90+ Study. She understands which factors are associated with a longer life and brain health.

The study of more than 2,000 seniors is the longest continuing research effort exclusively focused on the health and lifestyles of this population group. It has been featured on the news program 60 Minutes twice.

Read more:

• Los Angeles Times: Column: Brain-twisted or brain-washed – can crossword puzzles and word games sharpen memory? ›
• The 90+ Study ›
• Boosting brain power ›
• Living to age 90 and beyond ›