Can Imagination-Based StoryStyle™ Audio Learning Help Prevent Cognitive Decline?

In an age where brain health is an increasing concern, researchers and medical professionals are exploring ways to slow or prevent cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. While diet, exercise, mental activities and social engagement are often highlighted as protective factors, one crucial element is frequently overlooked: the power of imagination.

Cognitive Decline and Degenerative Brain Disease

According to Dr. Richard Isaacson, "Alzheimer's Disease starts in the brain over 20 years before symptoms start to show. At age 85, 45% of the population has Alzheimers, that means the disease first starts between the age of 55 to 65. If at the age of 65, 10% of people have Alzheimer, that means the diseased first started at the age of 35-45."

"Alzheimers isn't an older person's disease. It's a disease of the young and middle-aged." Dr. Richard Isaacson

To quote Dr. Blake Richards, "Now you've already heard a lot about this brain structure: the Hippocampus. It's a  critical brain structure for our memories and interestingly, the evidence is also very  clear that it's critical for our imagination. In particular, we think that it's critical  for providing the anchor of our imagination to reality. The Hippocampus is a brain structure that is hit very hard in Alzheimer's disease, and that displays to you just how important this brain region is for our cognition, given how devastating Alzheimer's is."

According to Robert S. Wilson, PhD, "Similar to the way exercise keeps the body fit, certain activities like playing card games may keep the brain in better shape than other activities such as watching television”

According to Dr. Joe Verghese of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and author of "Mental Stimulation and Dementia" in the New England Journal of Medicine, "cognitive activity may stave off dementia by increasing a person's 'cognitive reserve.' For instance, mental exercise may increase the connections between brain cells or promote new networks between cells."

The Argument for Imagination

Given these research findings support the argument that individuals who regularly engaged in intellectual activities such as reading, puzzles, and games had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia. These activities engage similar brain regions as imaginative exercises, especially reading, where the reader imagines the characters and environments in a book. Activities such as watching television are more passive and consumptive, and don't allow the viewer to imagine; instead, the viewer simply watches something that someone else has imagined. If you've ever started a TV series and not remembered if you've watched it before, this is why - it doesn't stick because your imagination hasn't been involved.

What I am suggesting is that regular and intentional exercising of imagination will help to increase your 'cognitive reserve' and offer have similar benefits in preventing cognitive decline.

Neurological Benefits of Imagination

Imaginative thinking has been linked to several cognitive benefits, including:

• Enhanced Neural Plasticity: Engaging in creative tasks promotes neurogenesis (the formation of new neurons) and strengthens synaptic connections, helping the brain adapt and reorganize over time.

  
  

• Memory Preservation: Visualization techniques, commonly used by memory champions, enhance recall and may counteract age-related memory loss.

  
  

• Improved Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: A strong imagination enhances one’s ability to think divergently, fostering cognitive flexibility and adaptability - skills that help combat mental rigidity associated with aging.

Imagination in Learning

As we continue to explore ways to maintain brain function, embracing imagination and creativity in professional learning may be one of the most enjoyable and effective strategies available.

At ProDio, we're not neuroscientists or experts. We're actively looking to partner, explore and find research that establishes a direct link between imaginative engagement and the prevention of cognitive decline or neurodegenerative diseases. Existing studies strongly suggest that keeping the brain actively engaged through creativity and imagination is beneficial. Cognitive reserve, built through imaginative exercises, can serve as a crucial defense against age-related decline, providing individuals with more years of mental clarity and independence.

Incorporating imagination into daily life is not just a tool for artists or children - it is a fundamental aspect of lifelong cognitive health. As we continue to explore ways to maintain brain function, embracing imagination and creativity in professional learning may be one of the most enjoyable and effective strategies available.

If this topic is of interest to you, please connect on LinkedIn or email me at russell@prodiolearning.com

Russell Cullingworth, MBA, FLPI

Dr. Richard Isaacson is a Preventive Neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, and the Director of Brain Health at The Atria Institute. "Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Dementia Prevention: The Future is Now" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GvpQ34wQng&t=148s&ab_channel=BrainMindSummit

Dr. Blake Richards is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science and Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University and a Core Faculty Member at Mila. "Imagination, AI and the Brain" https://youtu.be/d2-VBoqLz3w?si=U7hFrsIh6a6qjx88

Dr. Robert S. Wilson is a neuropsychologist in the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center, and a professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush Medical College.

Dr. Joe Verghese is tenured Professor of Neurology and Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He is the Chief of the Division of Cognitive & Motor Aging in the Department of Neurology and former Chief of Geriatrics at Montefiore Medical Center.

Scott Gottlieb, "Mental activity may help prevent dementia" https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1151037