玩遊戲與大腦智力的關系

周焯華-玩遊戲與大腦智力的關系-洗米華

譯文： 　　It’s inevitable that as we age, our brains get smaller. Nerves die off, losing their connections, and that leads to a thinned out network feeding our thinking functions. But brain shrinkage isn’t inevitable, according to the latest study of elderly adults. 　　In recent years, as more research reveals the benefits of staying both physically and mentally active into the golden years, health officials have been urging older people to exercise more and stay mentally engaged by maintaining a rich network of friends and family connections and by learning new skills to keep their brains sharp. Crossword puzzles, learning a new language, playing board games — anything that requires some thought can do the trick. 　　VIDEO: A Faster Stride Predicts a Longer Life 　　But researchers wanted to know whether physical activity or mental activity was better at keeping cognitive functions intact, or whether there was something about the combination that helped elderly stay sharp. So in the new study, researchers examined the medical records of 638 people from Scotland born in 1936. At age 70, the participants filled out questionnaires detailing their exercise habits as well as how often they engaged in stimulating mental and social activities. When they turned 73, the scientists took MRIs of their brains and matched their size, as well as any changes in the volume of white matter, which makes up the web of nerves that connect various brain regions, to the volunteers’ questionnaire answers. 　　（MORE: Mind Your Reps: Exercise, Especially Weight Lifting, Helps Keep the Brain Sharp） 　　The participants reported a range of physical activity, from household chores to heavy exercise or playing competitive sports several times a week. Over the three years, those who exercised the most had the largest brains, and showed the least shrinkage in white matter compared to those who were the least active, suggesting regular exercise in old age could protect the brain from age-related decline. Those who reported engaging in more intellectual pursuits didn’t show the same benefit. 　　People in their seventies who participated in more physical exercise, including walking several times a week, had less brain shrinkage and other signs of aging in the brain than those who were less physically active, said study author Alan J. Gow from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in a statement. On the other hand, our study showed no real benefit to participating in mentally and socially stimulating activities on brain size, as seen on MRI scans, over the three-year time frame. 　　MORE: Brain Training Trade-Off 　　Previously, four studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver also found that elderly adults who exercised regularly, including taking walks, working with light weights and aerobic training, had fewer senior moments and improved memory than those who were more sedentary. 　　Taken together, the findings contradict the traditional belief that older people inevitably become more frail physically, and less sharp mentally. The most recent studies also suggest that aging processes, including the decline in cognitive functions, isn’t permanent, but can be slowed by relatively moderate interventions such as walking. 　　How physical activity protects the brain still isn’t clear, but the researchers speculate that consistent exercise, particularly aerobic activities, promotes heart health, which in turn keeps nutrient-rich blood flowing to the brain to nourish neurons. People who are more physically active may also be healthier to begin with, both physically and mentally. The possibility that physical activity is a proxy for better general health should not be overlooked, the authors write. Either way, the latest findings, coupled with previous results, suggest that physical activity can be good for both the body and the brain, even into old age. 　　The study was published in n Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. 　　隨著年齡的增大，我們大腦不斷縮小是不可避免的事情，神經細胞逐漸失去連接並死去，使思維功能因神經網絡變薄而受到影響。但是最新的針對老年人的研究發現，大腦的萎縮並不是完全不可逆轉的，近年來，越來越多的研究發現進入流金歲月之後，保持生理和精神上的活躍將大有裨益，保健專傢們則鼓勵眾多老年人通過保持豐富的人際關系網和維系傢庭關系來活躍大腦，通過學習新的技能來保持思維敏捷。填字遊戲、學習新的語言以及玩棋類遊戲等——每樣都需要調動思維運轉。 　　但是研究者想知道到底是鍛煉身體還是腦力活動更有助於保持認知能力的完整性，或者是兩者組合更有作用。所以在新的研究中，研究人員對638名於1936年出生在蘇格蘭的老年人的病歷做瞭調查，在他們70歲的時候，填寫一張關於詳細的健身習慣的調查問卷，以及使用大腦思考和參加社交活動的頻率。當他們73歲時，科學傢再對他們的大腦進行核磁共振掃描，將大腦中腦白質體積的改變（腦皮質主要是由連接腦各個腦部區域的神經網組成）與之前問卷調查結果進行對比研究。 　　這些老年人的健身鍛煉包括瞭從傢務瑣事到過度運動，或者一周參與多次競技性體育項目。這三年來，那些健身活動頻繁的老年人具有最大的腦體積，相比而言那些不怎麼運動的老年人來說，他們的腦白質幾乎沒有出現萎縮。這揭示瞭老年人進行有規律的運動可以防止產生年齡引起的大腦衰退。而研究發現那些從事腦力勞動的老年人卻在這方面並沒有什麼改觀。 　　70多歲的人繼續參加鍛煉的話，例如每周經常散步，相比不怎麼運動的同齡人來說，腦萎縮和其它大腦衰老跡象出現的機率會大大降低，蘇格蘭愛丁堡大學研究者阿蘭。 J. 高在報告中提到，相反，我們的研究結果顯示，從三年之後的核磁共振掃描結果中看來，經常參與腦力運動和社交活動的老年人在腦體積上並沒體現出優勢。 　　先前，發表在溫哥華老年癡呆癥協會國際會議上的四個研究發現，那些經常散步，輕體力勞動和參加有氧鍛煉的老年人，記憶力明顯優於那些長期久坐不動的老年人，並且幾乎不會出現老年癡呆的情況。 　　綜上所述，研究結果與傳統認識恰好相反。老年人腦部的不可逆萎縮應歸咎於愈發虛弱的體質和遲鈍的思維。最新的研究同樣認為衰老的過程，包括認知功能的退化，並不是一成不變的，我們可以通過相對溫和的幹預，比如散步，來延緩它的發生。 　　鍛煉是如何保持老年人大腦活力的目前還不清楚，但是研究者推測，持續的鍛煉，特別是有氧運動，能夠促進心臟機能，從而使富含營養的血液充分流向大腦，滋養神經元細胞。經常參加體育鍛煉的人在身體和精神上都將變得更加健康。作者寫道，我們不能忽視鍛煉為身體帶來健康的可能性。不管怎樣，前後研究結果都一致認為鍛煉將是一個對身體和大腦都有益的事情，即使你是老年人也同樣如此。 Tags:周焯華,洗米華