Posts Tagged ‘Aging and mental function’

Weighing in on Alzheimer’s Disease and Crossword Puzzles

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

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By Madeleine Kolb

There is probably nothing about aging more terrifying than the specter of Alzheimer’s disease. We are so afraid of losing our ability to remember things and, ultimately, to do the simplest things that we panic if we can’t remember trivial facts from the past, such as which of the Righteous Brothers had the wonderful high falsetto? [It was Bobby Hatfield]. 

I know that’s Alzheimer’s Disease is not part of normal aging, yet I dread the thought of getting it and having one of my children care for me as I lose the ability to cook a simple dinner without setting the house on fire or go out for a walk in the neighborhood without getting hopelessly lost.  

The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not known for certain. But there’s no shortage of suggestions about how to prevent or delay it, such as the idea that doing crossword puzzles on a regular basis may help.  (more…)

Three Common Myths of Aging

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
Photo by kamshot

Photo by kamshot

By Madeleine Kolb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do we really know about aging, and is what we know really true?  Unfortunately, most of what we know is a confusing mix of fact and fiction, of myth and reality. 

Some of the common myths are dispelled in the book “Successful Aging” by John W. Rowe, M.D. and Robert L. Kahn, Ph.D., published in 1989. The book gives results of extensive studies of aging funded by the John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation which disprove myths  such as these:

Myth #1.  To be old is to be sick  (more…)