It has been advised by doctors for several years to ‘use it or lose it’. They say that staying as intellectually active as possible into our waning years in order to avoid dementia. The latest research shows that brain training comes at a price.

Researchers were led by Dr. Robert Wilson at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that people who stayed mentally stimulated- by indulging in activities like reading, visiting museums and other games- were found to be affected by dementia much later than those who were not as intellectually active.

However, it was found that once the dementia was set in, the group who participated in intellectually stimulating activities experienced a much faster mental decline.

The study went on for 12 years and for each point they earned on a measure of mental activity, the intellectually stimulated group experienced a 52 percent greater slope in mental impairment, after being diagnosed with dementia.

Wilson says, “Brain activity is not stopping the underlying neurobiology of dementia, but for a while, it seems to be effective in delaying the additional appearance of symptoms.”