Talking is GOOD for the Brain

 

Gerontologists, neurologists, and researchers know that social isolation is a risk factor for mental and physical decline among older adults. But why? The brain needs language to keep “firing” and stimulate neurocircuitry and neuropathways that keep the brain healthy, strong, and functioning at maximum capacity. Social isolation and disengagement lead to a type of mental stagnation.

Excessive television viewing is passive engagement and has little brain stimulation. Older adults who spend more than 1.5 hours of watching television daily are at higher risk for dementia and health declines (Budson, 2023). Not only is television watching a passive activity, but it is also sedentary, leading to physical health declines.

I have noticed that older adults with hearing loss sometimes prefer to remain in their silent bubble and forgo hearing aids. The result is usually social isolation. People avoid them because yelling is exhausting and forget about going to a restaurant or public event. Communicating with a person refusing to wear hearing aids is exhausting and selfish. I do not like admitting this, but I avoid them. This type of self-imposed social isolation is the first step in mental decline. People need language to keep our brains healthy. Think about it: In a conversation, you assess body language, you actively listen, formulate your response, speak, listen again, and so forth and so on. The brain is conceptualizing, organizing, and modulating actions and reactions. It is quite a workout!

Does Zooming or Skyping count as “conversations” that stimulate the brain? Yes! A recent research study funded by the National Institutes on Aging suggests that socially isolated adults scored higher on cognitive tests after participating in weekly online conversations designed to stimulate brain regions associated with memory, executive function, and abstract thought (Dodge et al., 2024). Although the study had only 186 participants and further studies are needed, the Dodge study suggests that online conversations between older adults raised cognitive testing scores. This is promising! Older adults who have few opportunities to engage with friends in person may retain and improve cognitive functioning using the internet.

References:

Budson, A.E. (10 April 2023). Does less TV time lower your risk for dementia? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/does-less-tv-time-lower-your-risk-for-dementia-202304102910#:~:text=Over%2012%20years%2C%20on%20average,decreased%20the%20risk%20of%20dementia.

 

Dodge, H. H., Yu, K., Wu, C. Y., Pruitt, P. J., Asgari, M., Kaye, J. A., Hampstead, B. M., Struble, L., Potempa, K., Lichtenberg, P., Croff, R., Albin, R. L., Silbert, L. C., & I-CONECT Team (2024). Internet-Based Conversational Engagement Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (I-CONECT) Among Socially Isolated Adults 75+ Years Old with Normal Cognition or Mild Cognitive Impairment: Topline Results. The Gerontologist, 64(4), gnad147. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad147

 

Language in the brain: (2009) https://www.amnh.org/explore/videos/humans/human-brain-language

 

Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash