Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer’s disease can make everyday thinking tasks feel harder, whether that means remembering names, following a conversation, or feeling confident in a new place.
Many experts believe that slowing cognitive decline is still possible for people with MCI — and some research suggests that exercising your brain can help.
“Exercising” your brain means doing activities that require thinking, learning, remembering, focusing, or problem-solving, says Dylan Wint, MD, the director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.
“Brain exercise could include reading a challenging book, attempting a tough crossword or jigsaw puzzle, having a thoughtful conversation, navigating a new route home, or learning a new hobby or musical instrument,” says Dr. Wint.
MCI can be an “important window of opportunity,” he says. “The goal is to give the brain every available advantage, even if there are signs that it is under attack.”
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