Professor Skaumin provided the most important rules for preserving memory until deep old age

– What determines our mental activity and ability to think, process information quickly? Are we born this way or is it hereditary?

– If you ask about intelligence, mental traits, scientists now say that a large part is determined by genetics. About 60 percent. our intellect depends on heredity. The remaining percentages depend on the social environment. It means not only of our efforts, but also of how we grew up, in what environment we grew up, especially in childhood.

– It is believed that the first two years have a great impact on the development of the child. Is there already any research on the importance of childhood in this regard?

– Yes, there are so-called critical periods. The first period is when the fetus is still in the mother’s womb, our nervous system develops. In the first half of pregnancy, neurogenesis takes place, neurons are produced. Imagine a transporter that produces 6 to 7 thousand neurons per minute, since they need to produce about 100 billion. The slightest mistake and we already have defects. In the second period of pregnancy, another process takes place, when neurons travel to their intended places, it is already genetic. Between them, they begin to form functional connections called synapses. At that moment, it is very important what works, where it is, what interests it, what the future mother is talking about.

– What advice would you give this future mother? Some read intellectual books while waiting and listening to Beethoven. Can you really make a difference?

– If we talk about science, it is very difficult to prove such things. The research that is done makes it very difficult to transfer them from labs and apply them in real life. Yes, there are such data that certain sounds, music, the father’s voice. But it is very difficult to prove it.

– Well, it won’t get worse.

– I definitely won’t. It is important to interfere less with these processes in the first half of pregnancy. The nervous system develops as much as it is given experience, as much as it is given impulses to make new connections. Neurons create permanent connections between neurons that are genetically conditioned, and therefore we will do little. Other connections are not formed permanently, they can be disassembled. Such neurons wait for certain experiences and then connections will appear. If a person does not use certain connections, they are dismantled. Another critical period is adolescence, when the connections between individual brain connections related to decision-making, predicting consequences, etc., end.

– If such connections are disconnected, can pathologies and diseases develop?

– Yes. What I mentioned is a physiological process, the good news for all of us is neuroplasticity. The brain can change and this can happen until deep old age. What you mentioned are already pathological, neurodegenerative processes. They affect cellular communication and then we have several consequences, neurological like dementia, one of which is Alzheimer’s disease.

– What damages the nervous system the most? One of the most tragic consequences that we see in Lithuania when a child is born with fetal alcohol syndrome. What else is extremely harmful to a woman and can damage neurologically?

– You’re right. Alcohol, drugs, toxic substances, stress, and even a woman’s social status affect intelligence.

– The man wears over the years. How does the brain change or age?

– Like the whole organism. Sometimes I tell my patients that the body does not separate from the head. We often forget that dementia and other neurological syndromes are not the same as old age and do not necessarily have to exist. An interesting question is why do people age differently. <...> There is a lot of research on this topic and one hypothesis is confirmed: a sedentary lifestyle. This is a confirmed factor that, according to statistics, influences the development of one or the other brain, disorders of the nervous system, dementia, etc. Those who are physically active, their nervous system works better. The next question is, can those who have spent their whole lives sitting now doing nothing? Gali. Physical activity, 20 minutes of active exercise twice a week and there is already a difference between those who do not. If people have already contracted the disease, dementia, they can also get help with physical activity. The disease is incurable, but the course of the disease is greatly influenced by the presence or absence of physical activity.

– Are there studies that show that mental activity, crosswords, chess, games or communication affect our aging process?

– The study was carried out, the subjects were divided into 2 groups: under 35 years and older. Assessed their cognitive functions. The result showed that people over 35 had worse cognitive functions than younger people. After a meta-analysis of the research, it turned out that in almost the absolute majority of cases, the researchers themselves are young. This means that they are most active in the second half of the day and did those studies in the second half of the day. And older people want to rest in the second half of the day. I moved the same test to the morning hours and saw that the results could vary. Can a lack of mental activity affect brain diseases? Yes. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association in the United States has declared that primary education is compulsory and the quality of learning is also very important. Education and mental activity reduce the chances of contracting this disease. Challenge your brain, get them interested. It is very individual: who is interested in games, who is interested in a foreign language or other activity. Conscious and active use of the brain can reduce the risk of developing dementia.

– Can certain comorbidities cause a decrease in mental activity?

– Perhaps. One of the most common causes of dementia is circulatory disorders such as ischemic stroke. Your risk factors have long been identified, including being overweight, diabetes, and high blood pressure. All three are related to the way of life we ​​choose for ourselves. That’s why I sometimes say that we die because we choose it ourselves. According to the World Health Organization, 51 percent. Chronic non-infectious diseases, ie stroke, heart attack, tumors, diabetes, depend on the lifestyle.

– How does alcohol affect the brain? Will a person who used to drink have a higher risk of developing various diseases in old age?

– I will not name the statistical figures. But of course we doctors have studies like functional brain MRI, simple brain MRI. Basically, in this study, many hobbyists can drink right away. Atrophic brain changes are even visually visible. Of course, we are talking about toxic doses.

– Nutrition – Is there a diet that improves the condition of the brain? Will we just choose a healthy diet and have a better brain condition?

– I would choose the last option. The good health of the cardiovascular system and the whole body actually improves the health of the brain as well. And vice versa. <...> Glucose is the fastest way to provide energy to the brain. But this is not the healthiest way, it is better to rest. There is also a term used by neuroscientists to refer to a healthy brain diet. It is not limited to nutrition, there are many components whose interactions result in your brain having a chance to stay healthy longer. Physical activity, mental activity – not only mental work, but also mental exercise, chess, mathematics. But it has also been discovered that the brain needs communication, and not just in cyberspace. It also turns out that self-reflection is necessary because we get a lot of information and we don’t have time to reflect. Sleep, your hygiene, the quality of your sleep is very important. Sleep disorders can affect dementia in the long term.

– There are many people who sleep after 5-6 hours. Can we hurt ourselves that way too?

– The duration of sleep is also one of the components. A quality sleep begins with a quality rest. A person who has gotten off the train of modern life cannot fall asleep here. After all, there is evidence that the brain works primarily during sleep with information arriving in the last 45 minutes. Sleep hygiene begins with preparing for sleep. I no longer mean the technology that people bring to bed and stimulate the brain.

– Often, older people say that they no longer want to learn and no longer need to innovate. Is it really so difficult to accept and assimilate new things in old age? If the grandmother says she no longer wants to learn anything new, what can her granddaughter tell her?

– Physiologically it can be said that blood circulation and metabolism deteriorate over the years, perhaps the processes do not occur so fast. But I think that reluctance to learn is a psychosocial phenomenon in which a person does not see the need to change anything in life. And the problem here is not so much the brain as the social one because the person feels unnecessary. The learning process requires attention. Without it, nothing changes in the brain because they don’t notice that information. It can be said that perhaps there is less energy to accumulate attention in old age, but you can wake up. For example, teach your brain something new. The 3 main things that excite the brain: essence, benefit and meaning. And I can say the same to the teachers. If the brain of a child or an elderly person does not know what it means to do everything, how it relates to everything I do, who I will use it for, they will not be very willing to learn. Perhaps older people who do not want to learn do not find meaning in that science.

– Where can we start now to lay the foundations for a healthier old age?

– First of all – movement. Our ancestors moved over hundreds of thousands of years. Stop using the elevators and park your car away from the workplace for a ride. Work in the garden. If you are over 70, walk. After an hour of daily walking, it has been shown to affect cognitive function. Second, give your brain work. It doesn’t have to be a stressful move, but something that would interest the brain. Third, answer to yourself the question of what is the meaning of your life. If you see it, you will never run out of motivation to change something.