The cognitive decline or impairment in brain functions may happen prematurely or with advancing age. Exercise & good sleeping habits are crucial for brain health.
Ageing is often associated with problems of memory and understanding or comprehension. We can call it scientifically as cognitive decline or cognitive impairment. The grades or intensity of which vary from person to person depending on various genetic as well as environmental factors. It can happen at a younger age also prematurely. Mild to severe cognitive impairment is associated with various brain diseases as well as stress in various forms.
What is cognition?
Cognition means your understanding, comprehension and other mental abilities. Cognitive function or cognition refers to higher-level functions of the brain such as acquiring knowledge, perception, attention, judgment, decision making, processing speed, executive function, cognitive flexibility, task switching, comprehension, response inhibition, and memory performance etc.
Causes of cognitive impairment or decline in functions of brain
The cognitive decline may happen prematurely or with advancing age. This cognitive impairment is a condition which can affect the independence and quality of life a person. In short, our brain functions are to be maintained in well condition as far as possible, by preventing factors causing the impairment.
It is a fact that in this area of medical science still there is obscurity regarding the exact cause of cognitive decline apart from ageing. Alzheimer’s diseases is one of the most common causes of cognitive impairment and it is seen in people with positive family history and in those people also who had no genetic predisposition. The only proposed cause is free radical damage to brain. Free radicals are by products of metabolism in human body. It also reaches our body from outside through food and chemicals. Whatever the source of origin of free radicals they cause oxidative stress to brain. It is a form of brain cell injury and leave behind some deposits in brain which cause nerve cell damage.
Apart from these various other factors causing cognitive impairment such as
· Erratic sleep or sleep deprivation
Sleep is a very important factor for memory and recall. Brain &nervous system research studies have shown that lack of sleep can impair memory &recall functions. Sleep deprivation may cause brain fatigue & it can elevate your stress levels.
Sleep is very much essential to regenerate certain areas of brain and its proper functioning.
Scientific studies point out that during the state of sleep, the cerebrospinal fluid removes the beta-amyloid metabolite in the brain. These fibrils are harmful to brain functions and they have been implicated in the disease pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Also, sleep deprivation can negatively affect motor functions, cognitive performances and human behavioral patterns probably due to the excess accumulation of toxic metabolites like beta-amyloid fibrils due to sleep deprivation. The accumulation can lead to severe brain injury if the causes leading to it persists for a prolonged time.
Each phase of the sleep cycle restores and rejuvenates the brain for optimal function. When sleep is deprived, the glymphatic system of brain does not get a chance to eliminate these toxins that accumulate, and negatively affects cognitive abilities, behavior, and judgment.
Lack of sleep also affects your linguistic abilities. Temporal lobe of brain is associated with language processing, so lack of sleep may cause slurred speech because the brain’s incapacity to process the neuronal signal at optimum levels during waking hours.
Sleep can affect the neurotransmitter chemical levels in brain.
Studies have shown that sleep [particularly NREM sleep]is important for turning off the norepinephrine, serotonin and histamine neurotransmitters, which is the time available for receptors to “rest” and regain sensitivity to be more effective at naturally produced levels again.
Sleep deprivation prevent the brain to function normally because of the neurotransmitters, and neurons that are unable to rest or regenerate.
Studies have proven that lack of sleep affects long-term memory, working memory, attention, higher order executive function, and various decision making processes.
· Physical inactivity & lack of exercise of sedentary life style
Physical exercise has very crucial role in boosting brain functions. It improves focus, memory and concentration. Sedentary life style and lack of exercise can accelerate the pace of cognitive decline or impairment.
How to improve the brain functions & cognition?
- Exercise & training
Exercise training can improve memory and cognition through the unique potential of human brain called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the term referring to the brain’s ability to change, reorganize, or grow neuronal networks. This can involve functional changes due to brain damage or structural changes due to learning.
Regular or consistent exercise is an effective solution for neuronal health and functional abilities. It is thought that exercise-induced memory improvement might be mediated through neurotrophic factors, and exerkines.
Exerkines are defined as signaling molecules released in response to acute and/or chronic exercise, which exert their effects through various pathways. Many organs, cells and tissues release these factors, including skeletal muscle (myokines), the heart (cardiokines), liver (hepatokines), white adipose [fat]tissue (adipokines), brown adipose tissue (baptokines) and neurons (neurokines). Exerkines have potential roles in improving cardiovascular, metabolic, immune and neurological health.
· Brain exercises to improve cognition
Brain exercises modify neuronal activity in such a way that they may help improvement in memory, cognitive functions or mental abilities. Practise the following things:
· New skill development
· Learning a new language
· Recall what you have read
· Cooking
· Visualization of words, things etc.
· Eye- hand coordination activities such as playing tennis, chess etc.
· Sports games
· Meditation
· Completing a jigsaw puzzle
· Socializing
Learning new and complex skills such as playing instruments, games
· Solving math problems
· Increasing vocabulary or word power
· Listening to music
In order to boost your memory do physical exercise, practice brain exercise and ensure that you get adequate sleep. Erratic sleep may disrupt your memory and other brain functions even if you exercise everyday. Therefore ensure that you sleep for at least 6-8 hours a day.
- Good sleep habits
Good sleep routine has to be developed by all-Ensure regular and fixed timing for sleep. Sleep for atleast 6-8 hours a day.
Avoid excessive eating or being starved before sleeping
Avoid bright light exposure of the eyes before sleep
Create a good sleep environment. Reduce bright lights.
Reduce your screen time with gadgets.
Think positive
References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651462/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16251949/
3. Underwood E. Neuroscience. Sleep: the brain’s housekeeper? Science. 2013;342:301. doi: 10.1126/science.342.6156.301.Googlescholar
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12205198/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6091269/
6. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2007;3(5):553-67.Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19300585
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8829997/
8. National center for integrative and complementary medicine https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557811/#:~:text=It%20is%20defined%20as%20the,traumatic%20brain%20injury%20(TBI).
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35304603/#:~:text=Exerkines%20are%20defined%20as%20signalling,paracrine%20and%2For%20autocrine%20pathways.
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9775149/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK83766/
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