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USF age lab study aims to reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

Updated  February 27, 2020 1:18am EST
Health
FOX 13 News

Brain games could combat Alzheimer’s

A study at the Cognitive Aging Lab at the University of South Florida in Tampa could determine whether these exercises could reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s.

TAMPA, Fla. - A lab at the University of South Florida is working to fight the onset of Alzheimer's. 72-year-old Julie Salas is participating in the project by exercising her brain through speed testing.

Salas says she hopes, "To find out where I'm at and to improve myself."

At USF's Cognitive Aging Lab, Salas is helping researchers determine whether certain exercises could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

"[The exercises] help your brain to process information quickly and to improve the amount of information that can be processed in a brief glance," explained Jerri Edwards, a psychiatry professor at the University of South Florida.

Edwards is leading the study called PACT, which stands for Preventing Alzheimer's With Cognitive Training. 

"The abilities that tend to decline with age, and as early as 25, are mental quickness and our ability to pay attention to multiple things at the same time, and those are the kinds of brain training exercises we use in this study that really seem to make a difference," said Edwards. "We are looking for healthy older adults age 65 and above who have not been diagnosed with any neurological disorder or who have not had a head injury who are interested in staying healthy and keeping their brain fit and active as long as possible. We particularly need African American and Hispanic individuals to volunteer for the study because they are at much higher risk for dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease."

So far, she's pleased with what she's seeing.

"I think that the evidence we have is promising. I think that prevention is the way to go, especially in the face of so many failed drug trials," said Edwards.

For Salas, this study could mean peace of mind down the road.

"If you can train your brain to work more effectively as you get older,  you're coming out ahead," said Salas.

For more information on how to participate in the study, call 813-974-6694 or visit https://pactstudy.org/.