Senior Education: The Learning Brain

 I have worked with a fair number of people diagnosed with dementia over the years and of course this has made an impression.  Intellectually I know that they are the exception rather than the rule, but I am still encouraged when I read articles that suggest that mental decline is not a forgone conclusion for most of us.

 

I discovered an article written by Hugh Conly (The Press, Christchurch, New Zealand: January 14, 2010) called “Senior and Still Sharp,” that could have been written by my next door neighbor.  It is obvious that these same fears are experienced by people worldwide.  I was drawn to his first remark which said that “if we are alive and breathing, our brain is capable of learning”.  Even if you have the occasional “senior moment” like when you walk into a room and can’t remember why you went there in the first place, you can rest assured that you are not necessarily teetering on the brink of a downhill slide.

 

Studies now show that the traditional views of the brain deteriorating as you get older are wrong.  Older people actually get better at learning because they can process information faster and better.  Up to age 25 you are better at rote memorization, but after that, you are better when it comes to processing and reflecting.

 

What does the brain need to stay sharp?  The brain is a social tool and seems to crave human interaction.  People who have a rich social life are more likely to have healthy brain activity.  Depression and degeneration seem to occur when people are not social, which means that you really need to get out of the house and do something.

 

Although social interaction plays a big role in keeping the brain alert, it is also important to stimulate the brain with new experiences.  Learning something completely new is often recommended.  The example given is that a violinist learning how to play a guitar would be stimulated but not do the degree than a non-musical accountant would be if he tried to learn an instrument from scratch.   Now is not the time to be cautious but to jump in and learn something entirely new, even if not in your comfort zone.

 

It is never too late to start, but remember that a person who has not been mentally stimulated for years will not do as well as someone who has been academically stimulated all along.  Still, anyone who makes the effort to live and learn can reap the benefits, which will mean a more positive outlook, a more fulfilling life, improved communication skills and overall alertness.

 

Forget about feeling silly or being too shy to participate.  It is totally okay if your hat is slightly askew or your accent isn’t perfect, or you need to have the “double click” technique for your computer explained a dozen times.   You are doing this for you now.