Book contents
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Reviews
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Lost in Thought
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- 1 Physician Heal Thyself
- 2 Evaluating New Advances in Alzheimer’s Research
- 3 Alzheimer’s Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease
- 4 The First Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease
- 5 Kidnapped in Kinshasa
- 6 Smell, Disgust, and Alzheimer’s
- 7 Apolipoprotein-4 (APOE-4)
- 8 Lost in the Fog of Alzheimer’s
- 9 My Father’s “Stuff”
- 10 Face Blindness during a Pandemic
- 11 Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
- 12 Olfactory Impairment in Covid-19 and Alzheimer’s
- 13 Alzheimer’s Disease and Work
- 14 Crossword Controversies
- 15 Can Loneliness Increase Risk for Dementia?
- 16 Excessive Laxative Use and Dementia
- 17 Dog Dementia (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction)
- 18 The Possible Role of Brain Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease May Be More Significant in APOE-4 Carriers
- 19 Surprisingly Good News about the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine)
- 20 More about the Importance of Exercise
- 21 Rolling on the River
- 22 The MIND Diet Revisited
- 23 My Photographs, Then and Now
- 24 Does Cataract Surgery Really Decrease the Risk of Dementia?
- 25 Hearing Loss, Aphasia, and Dementia
- 26 To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
- 27 The Amyloid Hypothesis Is Not Dead, but It May Be Gasping for Breath
- 28 Could Lecanemab Offer a Ray of Hope?
- 29 A Fatal Case of Multiple Brain Hemorrhages Associated with Lecanemab
- 30 Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)
- 31 Hitting the Sweet Spot in the Spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease for Future Trials of Anti-Amyloid Medications
- 32 Disappointing Results of Two Human Trials of Monoclonal Antibodies in Parkinson’s Disease
- 33 Repurposing Old Drugs for Alzheimer’s Treatment
- 34 Writing While Impaired
- 35 Spreading the Word
- 36 Saying Goodbye to Lizzie G
- 37 Amyloid and Tau PET Scans of My Brain
- 38 Running on a Field of Dreams
- 39 Living in the Moment with Alzheimer’s
- Index
- Plate Section (PDF Only)
- References
14 - Crossword Controversies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 January 2024
Book contents
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Reviews
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Lost in Thought
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- 1 Physician Heal Thyself
- 2 Evaluating New Advances in Alzheimer’s Research
- 3 Alzheimer’s Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease
- 4 The First Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease
- 5 Kidnapped in Kinshasa
- 6 Smell, Disgust, and Alzheimer’s
- 7 Apolipoprotein-4 (APOE-4)
- 8 Lost in the Fog of Alzheimer’s
- 9 My Father’s “Stuff”
- 10 Face Blindness during a Pandemic
- 11 Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
- 12 Olfactory Impairment in Covid-19 and Alzheimer’s
- 13 Alzheimer’s Disease and Work
- 14 Crossword Controversies
- 15 Can Loneliness Increase Risk for Dementia?
- 16 Excessive Laxative Use and Dementia
- 17 Dog Dementia (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction)
- 18 The Possible Role of Brain Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease May Be More Significant in APOE-4 Carriers
- 19 Surprisingly Good News about the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine)
- 20 More about the Importance of Exercise
- 21 Rolling on the River
- 22 The MIND Diet Revisited
- 23 My Photographs, Then and Now
- 24 Does Cataract Surgery Really Decrease the Risk of Dementia?
- 25 Hearing Loss, Aphasia, and Dementia
- 26 To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
- 27 The Amyloid Hypothesis Is Not Dead, but It May Be Gasping for Breath
- 28 Could Lecanemab Offer a Ray of Hope?
- 29 A Fatal Case of Multiple Brain Hemorrhages Associated with Lecanemab
- 30 Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)
- 31 Hitting the Sweet Spot in the Spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease for Future Trials of Anti-Amyloid Medications
- 32 Disappointing Results of Two Human Trials of Monoclonal Antibodies in Parkinson’s Disease
- 33 Repurposing Old Drugs for Alzheimer’s Treatment
- 34 Writing While Impaired
- 35 Spreading the Word
- 36 Saying Goodbye to Lizzie G
- 37 Amyloid and Tau PET Scans of My Brain
- 38 Running on a Field of Dreams
- 39 Living in the Moment with Alzheimer’s
- Index
- Plate Section (PDF Only)
- References
Summary
There is clear evidence that life-long learning builds cognitive reserve and delays the onset of cognitive loss without much if any slowing of the progression of the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Intellectual activity appears to make the brain more resilient to the neuropathological ravages of Alzheimer’s. It helps build cognitive reserves. What about doing brain games and crossword puzzles? The evidence has been conflicting over the years.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer's , pp. 60 - 62Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024
References
Pillai, JA, Hall, CB, Dickson, DW, et al. Association of crossword puzzle participation with memory decline in persons who develop dementia. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2011; 17(6): 1006–1013. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617711001111. PMID: 22040899; PMCID: PMC3885259 (open access).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genova, L. Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. New York: Harmony Books, 2021, p. 224.Google Scholar
Devanand, DP, Goldberg, TE, Qian, M, et al. Computerized games versus crosswords training in mild cognitive impairment. NEJM Evid 2022; 1(12). https://doi.org/10.1056/EVIDoa2200121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed