Article in the “Apotheken Umschau”: Dr. Iris Blotenberg on training spatial perception and Alzheimer’s Disease
According to an American study published on December 16 in the British Medical Journal, taxi drivers have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's because their brains regularly have to complete complex tasks such as remembering routes and planning travel routes. The health magazine "Apotheken Umschau" reports on this on its website. The authors of the study suspect that this cognitive challenge strengthens memory and reduces the risk of cognitive diseases.
Dr. Iris Blotenberg, a post-doc in Prof. René Thyrian's research group at the DZNE site in Greifswald, was interviewed for the Apotheken Umschau article. She explains that constantly navigating and memorizing routes and destinations can help train memory and delay the onset of the disease. Taxi drivers have to complete complex memory tasks every day, which promotes mental flexibility and could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. The study suggests that mentally demanding activities that regularly challenge the brain can protect against neurodegenerative diseases. However, both the authors and independent experts such as Blotenberg urge caution when interpreting the results and drawing conclusions about cause and effect.