Published in Pawtucket Times on December 8, 2003

 Planning bingo, finding that right word for the crossword puzzle you are working on, reading The Times or the latest bestselling book and even dancing might just be the right mental stimulation to help slow down the ravaging advances of Alzheimer’s.

Boston University researcher Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., is seeking Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts research participants to determine if the theory “use it or lose it” is fact or fiction.

“The brain never stops growing, especially in an enriched learning environment,” said Lombardo, who said science has shown the brain can actually replace neurons and grow connections between them.

Lombardo’s current research study is looking to prove that the brain’s ability to adapt, through cognitive training therapies can help persons who are already have Alzheimer’s disease slow down and even regain some of the cognitive losses they are experiencing.

Lombardo said that even with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, over the last decade researchers have found you can still exercise your brain, reap the benefits of improved short-term memory and experience a better quality of live.

These studies suggest keeping the mind active can help explain how some people can delay the onset of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease symptoms for years.

In one study, research B.P. Sobel found that playing bingo improved short-term memory, Lombardo noted.  In another study, H. Wang reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology that staying active in social and leisure activities is associated with a decreased risk of memory loss, she said.

An Albert Einstein College of Medicine study even reported in a recent issue of the New England Journal of  Medicine that “reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments and dancing were associated with a reduced risk of [memory loss].”

Lombardo, serving as principal investigator at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, told All About Seniors about the BEST (Brain Enhancement Strengthening Treatment) study.  This study is currently examining whether fun, combined with a challenging set of cognitive exercises, can be performed in a home setting to sharpen up the cognitive abilities of a person diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s.

The BEST study, based on the work of Lynn Lazarnus Seper, Ed.D. – who serves as the co-principal investigator with Lombardo – is working with early-stage Alzheimer’s participant and their care partners over a six-month period.

Serper used many of these same techniques in her successful self-recovery from a major debilitating stroke. She has also experienced successful results in her clinical practice with persons with Alzheimer’s, as well as those with stroke and other brain injuries.

Lombardo’s study is currently seeking early-stage Alzheimer’s participants in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts, ages 58 to 85, who will meet over 26 weeks in their own homes with cognitive educator Ann Lewis.  Lewis has received rigorous training from Serper and other researchers on the BEST team.

Eligible participants, who must have at least a two-year college degree, must have a diagnosis of probably Alzheimer’s disease.  Additionally, they  must be taking one of the three medications – Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl.

Finally, they must reside within a 40-minute drive of Newton, or Billerica, Mass. Or Newport, Rhode Island.

Study participants will work on mental exercises aimed at their prior and current interests/hobbies as well as current local and world news.

The format turns theses everyday activities into brain therapy. The cognitive educators will also assist participants in developing strategies for social and conversational situations.