We all have heard the concept of "use it or lose it" applied to aging people and keeping their minds and bodies active and healthy. It turns out that maybe there is something to this idea around lessening the bad effects of MS-related cognitive dysfunction, goes a theory called "cognitive reserve."
The idea behind the theory of cognitive reserve is that people who have more "active" brains can sustain higher levels of brain damage before they begin to lose functionality.
In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), this means that people who are more intelligent, more highly educated and/or have more challenging work can have more evidence of disease progression (demyelination and atrophy) before demonstrating the same evidence of cognitive dysfunction as other people who are not inherently as smart or educated.
In a recent study conducted among people with MS, scientists reported; "Individuals with high cognitive reserve were more likely to report lower levels of perceived disability and perceived cognitive deficits, and higher levels of physical health, mental health, and well-being."
The primary mechanism that is proposed is that the more "active" brains are able to compensate for the damage by "recruiting" other parts of their brains (other brain networks) to get mental tasks completed.
For a more in-depth discussion of the theory of cognitive reserve (although most of the examples are about Alzheimer's disease), see: What is cognitive reserve? Theory and research application of the reserve concept
I have Primary Progressive PM diagnosed 5 years ago and so far I have blessed with I have been vvery little cognitive impairment. However, this may be due to the fact that I started Neurotherapy 18 months ago. I do this for about an hour at a time once a week with a neurofeedback trained psycholigst. It is very easy to do, and you get continual feedback from the monitor in front of you.
Neurofeedback trained psychologist sessions—-that’s wonderful. I can imagine that as fun and rewarding.
I don’t know about “reserve”. I do believe that the brain can “rewire”. I believe in meditation as “resting” yet giving the brain opportunity to “rewire”. Physical activity, even intentional breathing challenges the brain, AND this is good. Cognitive dysfunction for me has come over time (i was diagnosed in 1993). It exhibits in loss of vocabulary to explain or describe, as well as “slow” processing. I really do identify with having to re-read and quizzing myself to understand or remember.
Have you heard of APR? Anticipate, Participate, Reflect.
While I agree with “use it or lose it” and appreciate the sense of a reserve of cognitive functioning, I also have to wonder if those of us with demanding careers, calling on cognitive function more often than not, and requiring multi-tasking often, might notice cognitive gaps more easily as there is more opportunity to experience that damage in the workplace.
This isn’t altogether a new concept, it falls within the theory of ‘brain plasticity’ which is something parents of disabled children are often more familiar with. I have 2 ASD kids and had been working with disabled children for over 20 years, i am (was) also intellectually gifted. I dont have any doubts that working the patternings and doing all the things i’ve done, along with the kids for all those years, helped me just as much as it helped them, though by how much is impossible to say.
In a normal undamagd brain, ‘doing’ maintains active neuro pathways, developes new ones and drops those no longer being used. The difference in MS is the little roadblocks (lesions) that get in the way of the active pathways, if you keep on doing it, you keep the pathway active and help to ‘rewire’ around the damage. Your brain ‘will’ find another way to perform the act, it may not be as smooth or as ‘normal’ as it use to be but its still working, still using and maintaining the active pathways.
Which is basically what “use it or loose it” is all about, and why finding ways to keep on doing is just so important for everyone!