Nurse’s simple hand movement that may lower Alzheimer’s risk
A registered nurse who is genetically at risk of developing Alzheimer’s has encouraged people to try a simple daily hand movement that could help lower the risk of the devastating disease. She said she loves to do this, especially while listening to music.
Maryann, known as @maryann_with_a_plan on TikTok, explained: “I am a nurse with a high genetic risk and a family history of Alzheimer’s.” Her account focuses on “brain health and Alzheimer’s and dementia prevention and risk mitigation”.
Discussing a hand movement designed to improve coordination – and in turn support brain health – the nurse urged people to try the “bilateral coordination exercise drill as this can help prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia”.
Experts at the British Gymnastics Foundation created Love to Move, the UK’s largest seated exercise programme designed for older adults, including people living with dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other cognitive impairments.
The experts also do bilateral routines and note that this type of exercise helps “stimulate the pathways between neurons in the brain and are what help people with memory and other brain functionality. Many Love to Move participants have re-gained skills and everyday living functions that they previously thought lost through dementia”.
What is the exercise?
Maryann explained: “I’m using both hands and a coordinated pattern. When you do this, it will help boost memory and focus.”
She begins by tapping her thumb and index finger together on one hand, then taps each remaining finger to her thumb one by one. She then switches hands and repeats the same pattern.
Don’t panic if you don’t get the hang of it. She says: “It’s okay if you mess up, a lot of people are like ‘oh my God, I have it already’. No, that’s not what this means.
“It just means your brain is learning a new skill. This is going to boost memory and focus. It’s going to help improve coordination and reaction time. It’s also going to support neuroplasticity and build and strengthen the neuropathway and help to build cognitive reserve.”
What is cognitive reserve?
Cognitive reserve, according to Harvard Health can indeed help with dementia. It explains: “The concept of cognitive reserve originated in the late 1980s, when researchers described individuals with no apparent symptoms of dementia who were nonetheless found at autopsy to have brain changes consistent with advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
“These individuals did not show symptoms of the disease while they were alive because they had a large enough cognitive reserve to offset the damage and continue to function as usual.
“Since then, research has shown that people with greater cognitive reserve are better able to stave off symptoms of degenerative brain changes associated with dementia or other brain diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or a stroke.
“A more robust cognitive reserve can also help you function better for longer if you’re exposed to unexpected life events, such as stress, surgery, or toxins in the environment. Such circumstances demand extra effort from your brain – similar to requiring a car to engage another gear.”
Does it ward off Alzheimer’s?
The nurse explains that this exercise alone will not prevent Alzheimer’s and stresses the importance of focusing on several “prevention pillars”. While the activity may benefit brain health, it cannot guarantee protection against the disease.
Listing sleep, a good diet, exercise, and mental stimulation among these pillars, she notes that people need to take care of their bodies and minds. Experts at the Alzheimer’s Society note that “there are things you can do to reduce your own risk of developing dementia. These include keeping active, eating healthily and exercising your mind”.
For a healthier mind and body, which may help prevent dementia and other cognitive diseases, it also suggests:
- Lowering alcohol intake
- Doing regular physical activity
- Quit smoking. “It’s never too late to quit smoking. The earlier you stop, the more brain damage you will avoid.”
- Stay mentally well and socially active
- Manage long-term health conditions as “certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, can increase the risk of getting dementia”
- Protect your eyesight and hearing – “uncorrected vision loss increases a person’s risk of developing dementia”
- Protect your head, such as when doing sports
What are the signs and symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s?
The NHS stresses that different types of dementia can affect people differently. But some common early symptoms may appear some time before a diagnosis of dementia.
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- being confused about time and place
- mood changes
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:
