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Surprising hobby that may help ward off dementia, according to scientists
It's a hobby often associated with teenagers .
But keeping a diary – or a journal – may potentially help older people ward off dementia, research suggests.
Researchers crunched the stats of 10,000 people living in Australia over the age of 70 who were followed for around a decade.
It showed that participants who took part in more literacy activities – such as keeping a journal, writing letters or using a computer – were 11 per cent less likely to develop dementia.
Other brain-consuming activities such as chess, crosswords, boardgames, and puzzles was linked to a 9 per cent reduced risk.
The researchers also wrote that artistic activities such as woodwork, metalwork, painting or drawing, and passive mental activities such as reading newspapers or listening to music, led to a 7 per cent reduced risk of developing the disease.
But sadly, social outings and interactions did not appear to have any effect.
Writing in the journal Jama Network Open the team, from Monash University in Melbourne, said: ‘These results suggest that engagement in adult literacy, creative art, and active and passive mental activities may help reduce dementia risk in late life.
‘For older adults, lifestyle enrichment may be particularly important because it could help prevent dementia through modifications to daily routines.
‘An enriched lifestyle with diverse leisure activities may reflect an optimistic personality and confer cognitive benefits by stimulating the growth of neurons and synapses and promoting well-being.’
The team added that their findings may help improve policies for elderly care and focus dementia prevention for older adults.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there around 50 million people with dementia globally, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.
A 2021 study estimated that global dementia cases will nearly triple to reach more than 152 million by 2050, driven by an ageing population.
The highest increase in dementia prevalence is projected to be in eastern sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, the University of Washington experts said.
What is dementia?
"Dementia is an umbrella term to explain different conditions with similar symptoms, such as memory loss, confusion and a change in behavior and communication," explains Ian Le Guillou from the Alzheimer’s Society.
"These symptoms develop progressively over a number of years."
Dementia occurs as a result of damage to the brain, or the death of brain cells that deal with brain functioning.
注释：
ward: n; v
1. n表示" 病房"，means " separate room in a hospital"，如：The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward. 这医院有内科病房和外科病房。
2. v表示" 守护；躲开"，means "watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect;"，如：He managed to ward off the blow. 他设法避过了那一击。
crunch: v; n
1. n表示"关键时刻"，means "a difficult moment when sth important must be decided"，如：When it comes to the crunch they will support us. 到紧要关头他们会支持我们的。
2. v表示"嘎吱嘎吱地咀嚼"，means " make a noise like the sound of sth being crushed"，如：The wheels crunched the gravel. 车轮碾在碎石上嘎吱嘎吱地响。
stat: n
表示"统计"，如：Study on Status Quo and Countermeasure of Road Traffic Safety Based on Accident Stat.基于事故统计的道路交通安全现状及对策研究。
artistic: adj
表示" 艺术的"，means " concerning, or typical of art or artists"，如：She has artistic tendencies. 她有艺术气质。
confer: v
表示" 商讨"，means "have a conference in order to talk something over"，如：I will confer with him on the subject. 我将和他商议这件事。
synapse: n
表示" [解]突触；神经键"，means "the junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle"，如：electrical synapse 电突触
中文简要说明：
你是否曾在年少时期常常写日记？澳洲科学家建议大家重拾这个习惯，因为失智风险可望藉此降低11%，如果不想写日记，经常写信给别人、多多操作计算机也行，重点在于「读写」。社交互动则无预防失智的效果。研究成果已于周五（14日）发表于美国医学会期刊网络开放版（JAMA Network Open）。
世界卫生组织数据显示，全球失智症患者大约5000万人，而且每年增加将近1000万人。2021年一项研究预估，由于老年人口增加，全球失智症患者术会在2050年超越1.52亿人。
英国《镜报》、美国《富比士》杂志报导，澳洲墨尔本蒙纳许大学（Monash University）针对1万名70岁以上澳洲年长者追踪10年，其中98%为白人。结果发现，长者经常从事与读写文字有关的活动，例如写日记、写信、操作计算机，发生失智症的风险可降11%。
其他可激荡脑力的主动式心理活动如下棋、填字游戏、桌游、牌戏、猜谜，也可让失智风险减少9%，不无小补。这些活动好处很大，属于竞争性质、需要解决状况，或者考验老人家消化、储存新信息的能力。木工、金工、油画或素描这类艺术活动，或是读报、听音乐等被动式心理活动，失智风险可减7%。
至于团体活动、维持社交圈互动这类行为，研究人员并未观察到可降低失智风险的作用。
研究报告指，上述发现意味着成年人的文字读写、学习新技能、上课、艺术创作、主动或被动式的心理活动，有助于人们在晚年降低失智风险：「对于老年人而言，富足的生活方式尤其重要，因为，透过日常例行公事的改变，有助于预防失智。拥有多元休闲活动的富足生活可反映出乐观的个性，藉由刺激神经细胞与神经突触增长、促进个体幸福感，也能让认知能力获益。」
即使参与研究的长者早年教育水平或社经地位不同，仍可透过挑战认知能力的活动获得相同的好处。研究团队也表示，这项发现有助于改善长者照护的政策、聚焦于年长者失智症防治。
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