Never turn down a party invitation

YOu might notice yourself becoming slightly more forgetful or more easily distracted, while your partner or friends are having trouble finding the right word or putting a face to a name.

The bitter truth is a degree of cognitive decline is inevitable as we get older.

But as our understanding of dementia and Alzheimer’s has grown, psychologists and neuroscientists have become increasingly confident about the ways in which we can protect our brain power and stay firing on all cylinders for longer.

In my many years of work as a professor of psychology, with a specialism in dementia and Alzheimer’s, I have studied the significant impact of targeted brain-training exercises.

We have been able to prove that puzzles like the ones which have been featured in the Daily Mail over the past week really can slow the cognitive decline of patients with early dementia, and I am convinced they can help shore up the defences of a healthy brain, too.

I recommend patients spend three hours per week running through these delightfully varied exercises to keep the different aspects of their cognitive function on top form.

But, as I have explained throughout this series, if you really want to protect your brain long term, my advice extends to eating healthily, being active (at least three hours a week) and getting plenty of sleep. Today I explain why minimising your stress levels and being super-sociable are also important.

It’s not such an onerous prescription, is it? We know that people who have been socially active throughout their lives tend to have a reduced risk of developing dementia though we can’t pinpoint why.

One theory is that a good social life — having different people with whom to interact — helps us to meet our emotional needs.

There’s a strong recognised link between emotional health and brain health, and one of the known risk factors for dementia is depression and loneliness. So, having regular company tends to give us a means of better coping with emotional ups and downs.

Studies have shown it doesn’t matter how many people you regularly connect with in your life — whether you have three close friends or 300 — what really matters is that you’re not lonely.

Make an effort to find a social activity you enjoy which allows you to be mentally stimulated

plus interact with other people at the same time.

On top of this, take up any opportunity for social interaction throughout your day. For example, make a point of buying a drink from a person, not a vending machine. Strike up a conversation at the supermarket checkout, in the bank, or at the Post Office. Think of every meal you have as an opportunity to be sociable and engage with family, friends or colleagues.

One reason socialising might be so good for you is the fact that it can ease stress. The human brain is not supposed to endure prolonged anxiety or depression, and keeping stress hormones at a high level for too long could increase your risk of dementia.

Animal studies have shown stress can change neuronal circuitry (the network of nerve cells in the brain), leading to wear and tear; and war veterans who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder are nearly twice as likely to succumb to dementia.

Similarly, Alzheimer’s patients with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol see a faster deterioration in their condition.

My personal hypothesis is that stress itself doesn’t destroy brain cells or increase your dementia risk. I am more inclined to think that when you are stressed or depressed, you are less likely to follow the healthy lifestyle that we now know is conducive to optimum brain health — and that’s what puts you at risk.

You are much more likely to grab a takeaway, skip a workout, or cancel social engagements.

Being anti-social probably has a similar effect: it may not be the isolation which kills off your brain cells, it’s that you’re less likely to live a brain-healthy lifestyle.

If stressed or prone to anxiety, I advise my patients to add relaxation techniques such as yoga, massage, meditation and deep breathing exercises into their brain health mix.

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