The results of a clinical trial released this summer show that taking a structured group approach to lifestyle changes that target risk factors for Alzheimer's disease could significantly delay cognitive aging.
That's compared to a self-guided model, which is also beneficial.
The U.S. POINTER study funded by the Alzheimer’s Association tested a structured program that included a brain-healthy diet, mental and physical exercise, regular health monitoring and social activities.
Here in Central Florida, a similar structured approach at the Brain Fitness Academy at Stetson University in DeLand is already having a positive effect on people experiencing cognitive decline.
'A lot of laughing'
In a large second-floor room, the participants -- generally seniors in their 70s and 80s -- are bouncing 9-inch rubber balls. The ping of bouncing balls is interrupted every so often by bursts of laughter and wisecracks.
This exercise portion of their twice-weekly get-together is permeated by a jolly sense of community. It helps alleviate the painful isolation that can come with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
They are supporting one another. Seventy-four-year-old Darcy Licorish leaves his place to help his 87-year-old classmate back into his chair after his ball escaped.
And a radiant smile lights up the face of 83-year-old Martha Hewett when she talks about the program.
"There's a lot of laughing here, a great deal of laughing," she said, "and I think that's partially because there's also no judgment here. So if somebody says something ridiculous, everybody just laughs.
Hewett is a retired therapist in her second year with Stetson's BFA. When she first heard about it, she wanted to get involved.
"I naively thought that perhaps I could volunteer and be of some help," she said with laughter in her voice. "And then when I came in and they put you through the battery of interviews, I go, 'Oh no, I'm the target audience.'"
Hewett said it's well planned. It seems to be fun and games, she said, "and then you realize that there's a real purpose for each thing we do."
The three-hour sessions include socialization, health education, brain teasers and some basic arithmetic.
"We do a lot of routine things, much of which can be taken home with us," Bob Sullivan said. The 78-year-old said he used to work in the aviation industry.
"The brain is just like any other part of the body," Sullivan said. "The more you exercise it, the better it works. And I find that to be especially true now with this affliction."
For him, that includes doing crossword and sudoku puzzles on his computer at home.
Implementing the study
The Brain Fitness Academy started in 2007 in Winter Park. Besides Stetson, there are BFA programs at First United Methodist Church in Winter Park and Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Orlando in Maitland.
Stetson coordinator Ariel Chivers says her location opened in 2021. There is a fee to participate in the 14-week courses -- though Chivers said they are always looking for grants.
And she would like to see programs like this one everywhere.
"I do think it would be beneficial to expand," she said, "and that is our goal in time ... to expand the Brain Fitness Academy, at least across the state and across the country."
They have semesters in the spring, summer and fall, and several student interns help the 15 seniors involved. Participants said they especially enjoy interacting with the students.
Psychology major Mia Martinez of Lady Lake is one of those interns.
"I've been told multiple times that they see us as like their young adult grandchildren," she said.
Martinez said it's a strength-based program that focuses on what the participants can do, not what they can't, on participation, not completion.
With a few tweaks, she believes the program could be adjusted to be more "prevention based," Martinez said. "And to try and do more research with the history of participants at risk of Alzheimer's and dementia."
That's a strategy the Alzheimer’s Association is funding now: to translate the findings of the U.S. POINTER study into the real world practices of communities and organizations.
They call it implementation science.
"What we learned in POINTER is it's the structure and the support that's needed for success," said Wake Forest University professor and the U.S. POINTER principal investigator Laura Baker as she presented the study earlier this summer.
That approach could make a big difference for many seniors as they age.
"Compared to the self-guided group, participants in the structured group performed at a level comparable to adults one to two years younger," she said. "It looks like it slows the cognitive aging clock by one to two years. And that's the benefit of structured over and above the benefit of the self-guided."
In Florida, the Alzheimer’s Association is hoping to see those lifestyle interventions brought into the care plans for seniors in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The study could also bolster their push to get the Legislature to create a public awareness campaign.
