Keeping mentally active may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease, but once patients are diagnosed with the condition, “brain exercise” may actually speed up cognitive decline, researchers said -- adding that that may not be a bad thing. Among more than 1,000 older individuals in a large, longitudinal cohort study, scores on a measure of cognitive activity were significantly correlated with the rate of worsening in global cognitive function, according to Robert S. Wilson, PhD, of Rush University in Chicago, and colleagues.
