from Frontiers of Aging
A lot of research on neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment focuses on memory, but University of Illinois researchers say cognitive flexibility and other executive functions of the brain have been shown to better predict daily functioning than memory does. Their study, in Frontiers of Aging, suggests older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids found in fish did better than their peers on tests of cognitive flexibility—that is the ability to efficiently switch between tasks. The term executive function also includes processes like planning, reasoning, paying attention, problem solving and impulse control. The research adds to evidence that optimal nutrition helps preserve cognitive function, slows aging and reduces debilitating diseases in healthy aging people.