The key to preventing brain aging is "small accumulations," including foreign languages ​​and playing musical instruments

Recently Yahoo New on-line picked up the following:

脳の老化防ぐカギは「小さな積み重ね」、外国語や楽器演奏も

2024.11.08 Fri posted at 16:48 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 脳の老化による認知機能の低下を遅らせる生活のカギについて、魔法の一手があるわけではなく、さまざまな「小さい要因の積み重ね」だとする研究結果が報告された。例として外国語を話すことや、楽器を演奏することも挙がっている。

英スコットランドにあるエディンバラ大学のサイモン・コックス氏が、スコットランドで１９２１年生まれと３６年生まれの高齢者グループを長期間追跡したデータに基づき、７日付の米医学誌にレビュー論文を発表した。

追跡研究では、対象者全員に１１歳の時点で認知テストが実施されていた。さらに７０代、８０代、９０代で認知能力と体力がチェックされた。

同氏らのチームは対象者が７３歳になった時点で脳のＭＲＩ検査を実施し、個人差の大きさに驚いたという。同じ年でも、３０～４０代と変わらないほど健康な脳に見える人がいる一方、一部の対象者では神経線維が集まる白質に、認知機能の低下に関連する大きな委縮や損傷がみられた。

同氏によると、高齢になってからの認知力のばらつきのうち約半分は、１１歳でのテスト結果で説明がつくと考えられる。

その一方で、生活習慣にかかわるさまざまな条件も、少しずつだが検出可能な影響を及ぼし、時にはオーバーラップしていることが分かった。こうした条件を合わせると、７０～８２歳でみられるばらつきの約２０％が説明できるという。

コックス氏は例として、身心の活発な活動、血圧やコレステロール値、喫煙習慣、ＢＭＩ（体格指数）などで示される心血管系の健康、第二言語での会話、楽器演奏などを挙げている。

チームはさらに、脳の老化のさまざまな側面が、特定のリスク要因の部分集合によって引き起こされるかどうかを調べているという。

Translation

(CNN) Research results had reported that there wes no one magic trick to slow down the decline in cognitive function caused by brain aging, but rather a "accumulation of various small factors." Examples given included speaking a foreign language and playing a musical instrument.

Simon Cox of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland published a review paper in a US medical journal on the 7th based on data from a long-term follow-up of elderly groups born in Scotland in 1921 and 1936.

In this tracking study, cognitive tests were conducted on all subjects at the age of 11. In addition, cognitive ability and physical strength were checked in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.

His team conducted MRI scans of the brains of the subjects when they were 73 years old, and were surprised at the large individual differences. Even at the same age, there were people whose brains seemed to have no change and was as healthy as those in their 30s ~ 40s, while some of the subjects had white matter concentrated at the nerve fibers, showed significant shrinkage and damage related to cognitive decline.

According to Cox, about half of the variation in cognitive ability in later life could be explained by test results at age 11.

On the other hand, a variety of lifestyle factors, little by little, might also cause detectable effects, and sometimes overlapping effects. Together, these factors explained about 20% of the variation seen in people aged 70 to 82.

Cox gave examples in factors included active physical and mental activity, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking habits, BMI (Body Muscle Index) etc. that could demonstrate cardiovascular health, speaking a second language, and playing an instrument.

The team was also investigating whether different aspects of brain aging were caused by specific subsets of risk factors.

So, research results have been reported that there is no one magic trick to slow down the decline in cognitive function caused by brain aging, but rather an "accumulation of various small factors." Examples given included speaking a foreign language and playing a musical instrument. Based on this survey we know how to slow down our brain aging.