Folate, found in vitamins B12 and B6 is important to the body in processing homocysteine levels. Now a study links higher folate levels with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The report is published in the January issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journal.

Higher folate intake was modestly correlated with lower homocysteine levels, indirectly suggesting that a lower homocysteine level is a potential mechanism for the association between higher folate intake and a lower Alzheimer’s disease risk,” the authors write.

Definitive conclusions about the role of folate in Alzheimer’s disease cannot yet be made, the authors caution.

Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells and is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Folate is needed to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin found in supplements and fortified foods.

Simply memorizing a poem or learning by rote can cause metabolic changes in the brains of older adults.

In a study, participants aged 55 to 70 were involved in six weeks of intensive rote learning and memorizing. This was followed by six weeks of rest.

Learning and memory tests were administered before and after the six week learning session. No changes were noted at the end of the six weeks of memorization.

However, tests administered after the six weeks of rest showed that all of the volunteers experienced improvements in their verbal and episodic memory. They were better able to remember and repeat a short story and a list of words and to recall events that occurred earlier in the day or week.

Researchers stress that memorizing is a daily exercise anyone can do and that it has long term benefits in terms of cognitive function and as a defense against dementia.

So, let’s all go memorize something!

Rote Learning Improves Memory in Seniors

Using the computer could boost mental function and playing computer based games can improve cognition in Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers have found that internet accessible computer activities are even more successful than classic exercies of mental stimulation commonly used with dementia patients.

The findings of the study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Fundacio ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades in Barcelona, Spain, suggest that interactive multimedia internet based activities combined with standard pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer’s patients resulted in better cognitive function even in patients whose disease had progressed.

This study may relieve the fears of those who read about the Stanford University study that explored the possibility of internet addiction.

The findings of the study are published in the October issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Read more about the study here:
Computer-based ‘games’ enhance mental function in patients with Alzheimer’s

How detailed a memory is seems to be affected by the levels of acetylcholine in the brain when the memory is made. Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, has long been considered to be associated with memory and many major treatments for Alzheimer’s work by making more acetylcholine available in the brain.

According to a study by researchers at UC Irvine, a higher level of acetylcholine was associated with greater detail in memories of specific experiences.

Read about the study here.

See our previous story on how consuming apples and apple juice can boost your acetylcholine levels.