Results of a recent study in mice suggest that living in a stimulating environment during middle and old-age could help to encourage the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus – an area of the brain associated with learning and memory. Dr. Gerd Kempermann of Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany and his colleagues studied middle-aged to elderly mice to see what effect their environment had on their brain. One group of mice lived in standard cages, while another lived in “enrichment housing”- where the cages were filled with running wheels, tunnels, toys, and choices of food. Ten-months later, tests revealed that the mice living in the enriched environment had five times the number of new brain cells in the hippocampus. Furthermore, those living in the standard cages had 50% more cells containing aged-related deposits than the stimulated mice. Kempermann concluded: “It is common sense and backed by epidemiological data that to lead an ‘active’ life is beneficial for mind and brain.”
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Annals of Neurology 2002; 52:135-143
