CANADIAN LIVING OCTOBER 2019 | 71Myth
My brain-training app
will keep my brain agile.Despite their popularity,
brain-training apps and
games might not improve your cognitive function
or IQ as much as developers claim. “The studies
say these games are not a whole lot of use,”
explains Christene. “In fact, there’s new research
that suggests we’re starting to lose some aspects
of working memory by relying on our phones too
much. To combat this, I’d recommend doing small
things like writing a grocery list but leaving it in the
car while you shop—simple things that can help
build new neural pathways and strengthen
working memory.”Truth
Myth
You can’t teach old
brains new tricks.Brain function is
elastic well into our
later years, and to keep it that way, consider
trying something that takes you out of your
comfort zone to help continue to build those
new neural pathways. Learning a different
language or how to play a musical instrument
are worthy pursuits for strengthening your
noggin’s adaptability but you can also get
results with tiny changes to your routine, like
taking a different route to work or brushing
your teeth with your non-dominant hand.
“Even the effort of getting dressed in the dark
uses completely different brain cells (touch
rather than sight),” says Christene.Truth
Every day we’re
inundated with
information about
keeping healthy—
but how much of
it can you rely on?
In the case of main-
taining brain health
and reducing the
risk of developing
Alzheimer’s disease
and dementia, at
least, we know
there’s a lot of mis-
conceptions. To cut
through all the grey
matter of some
popular myths, we
spoke with Dr. Carol
Greenwood, profes-
sor emeritus of
nutritional sciences
at University of
Toronto and senior
scientist at Bay-
crest’s Rotman
Research Institute,
as well as Christene
Gordon, provincial
client services lead
for the Alzheimer’s
Society of Alberta
and Northwest
Ter r ito r ie s. Re a d
on as we set the
record straight.
TEXT SARAH DZIEDZIC