ALZHEIMER’s disease and other age-related conditions that cause cognitive decline are associated with pathological changes in the brain, including unusual accumulation of protein deposits.
Although the levels of these brain pathologies are associated with cognitive impairment, some individuals with brain pathologies maintain healthy cognitive function.
A recent study suggests that adherence to the MIND diet, which is a diet designed for improving brain health, can slow cognitive decline in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
The study found that the association between adherence to the MIND diet and better cognitive health was independent of brain pathology levels.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Around 1 in 9 adults over the age of 65 years in the United States currently have this condition.
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the unusual accumulation of protein deposits called beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
These protein deposits are considered to be responsible for damage to brain cells and, consequently, impairment of cognitive function observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Interestingly, not everyone with high levels of these brain pathologies or markers for Alzheimer’s disease experiences cognitive decline.
This ability to maintain normal cognitive function in the presence of brain pathologies is known as cognitive resilience.
In addition, older adults aged 65 years and over who engage in physical activityTrusted Source and activities that provide mental stimulationTrusted Source are likely to have better cognitive performance independent of their levels of Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathologies.
Even though some recently studied Alzheimer’s disease drugs can reduce the levels of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, the interventions that scientists have studied so far have shown limited success in slowing down the decline in cognitive function.
