"We say, 'Use it or lose it,'" said Dr. Kyle Allen, director of Summa Health System's Center for Senior Health.
Forget the myth that scientists once thought older brain was incapable of generating new cell growth.
, who teaches medical residents, said that he
and people in his
field understand that the research is not conclusive, they still believe that it is absolutely necessary for older adults to keep the mind as active as possible.
said, "We know if you train an animal on a new task or have them run a maze, it actually improves their performance on other tasks, it may even involve structural changes in the brain itself."
These studies have not been replicated on older humans for ethical and logistical reasons.Human subjects also have many other factors that can affect their brain functions, such as diet, some medications and alcohol.