Preserving physical and mental health helps older adults experiencing cognitive impairment stave off declines in cognitive engagement, a new study suggests.<\/p>\n
“We found that declines in physical and mental health were associated with more pronounced cognitive disengagement,” says Shevaun Neupert, professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the study published in Entropy<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n
To begin addressing those questions, the researchers enlisted 28 study participants. All of the participants were over 60 and had documented cognitive impairment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
“The findings highlight the fact that well-being<\/a> is holistic; physical health, mental health, and cognitive function can influence each other,” says coauthor Xianghe Zhu, a recent PhD graduate of NC State.<\/p>\n
“But we already know that there is an element of ‘use it or lose it’ to cognitive function<\/a> in healthy adults. And while it’s understandable for people to want to avoid tasks that are difficult or challenging, it’s really important to continue challenging ourselves to take part in difficult cognitive activities.”<\/p>\n
Source: <\/em>NC State<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"