Lifespan Mental Activity Predicts Diminished Rate of Hippocampal Atrophy

Valenzuela et al. offer further confirmation of the 'use it or lose it' perspective by showing that lifetime mental activity correlates with a diminished rate of hippocampal atrophy with aging. They suggest that neuroprotection in medial temporal lobe may be one mechanism underlying the link between mental activity and lower rates of dementia observed in population-based studies.