“Look at Aunt Cheryl,” Laura whispered to her brother Jack at a family dinner. “She keeps confusing our names.” Uncle Robert, Cheryl’s husband overheard. “What do you expect, Laura?” he asked. “That’s what happens when you get older. It’s called cognitive aging. Nothing to do about it.”
If you get together often with other older adults, that probably sounds familiar. Most people – of all ages – assume that mixing people up, forgetting names and events, and even making bad decisions are automatic symptoms of cognitive aging. And that there’s nothing to do.
Wrong, and wrong again.
Welcome to the 5 cognitive aging myths that everyone believes.
Myth #1: Healthy brain function in older adults means having a good memory.
There’s a lot more to brain function than memory. If your memory is playing tricks on you a bit but your attention span is good, you can drive well, you make good business decisions and engage in problem-solving, your brain is functioning pretty well. Memory is crucial, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not everything.
Myth #2: Alzheimer’s and cognitive aging are the same thing.
Can we get on a rooftop somewhere and shout “no, they’re not”? Here are the main differences:
- Alzheimer’s is a disease. A chronic neurodegenerative disease, to be precise. Cognitive aging isn’t it’s a natural part of the life cycle.
- Alzheimer’s affects about 10% of older adults. Cognitive aging happens to everyone, starting from the moment they’re born.
- Alzheimer’s causes severe neuron loss. With cognitive aging, the amount of neurons stays more or less the same.
Myth #3: Once my brain starts going, there’s nothing I can do about it.
This is a really insidious one. There is so much that you – and your family – can do to take care of your cognitive health:
- Manage your meds. There are a number of medications that can negatively affect your cognitive functioning. Consult your health team to check if any of your meds fall under this category.
- Reduce cardiovascular risk. The healthier your heart is, the healthier your brain will be. Make sure your blood pressure is under control. And don’t smoke!
- Keep moving. Physical fitness and cognitive function go together. If you’re already physically active, good job. Keep at it. If you aren’t, consult your physician to see which exercises are safe for you to start with.
- Stay social. Stay in touch with good friends and family. If you don’t have any good friends, well, this is a great time to find some. Seriously.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Not just tonight, every night. If there are physical conditions in your home or unit that prevent you from sleeping, get them fixed or let the manager know. If you have any physical conditions that are preventing you from sleeping, call your doctor to see how you can take care of them.
Myth #4: Cognitive aging happens because the older you get, the more brain neurons die.
This is going to be short and sweet: Not true. Unless a disease (like Alzheimer’s) is present, very few brain neurons are lost with age.
Myth #5: After you reach a certain age, cognitive function either plateaus or declines.
It’s really unclear where this myth came from. Age was always considered a sign of wisdom, and there’s a lot to that. The longer you’ve lived, the richer your life experience and the more opportunities you have to gain the wisdom that comes with that experience. And wisdom is, of course, a cognitive thing.
Beyond wisdom, research – scientific and anecdotal – shows that very often, older adults experience less negative emotions than younger people do. They are less prone to anger, resentment, and anxiety. Forgiveness and “letting go” come easier to them. And they have better ability to look at difficult situations philosophically and roll with the punches that life throws.
So the next time you hear someone talk about cognitive aging like that Uncle Robert did, set them straight.