CHICAGO: Scientists have been preaching the benefits of mental exercise to seniors for years, but a study released on Tuesday may be the clincher that some people in their golden years have been waiting for.

The study found that a little mental workout goes a long way, and that a sharper mind can make everyday tasks such as driving, bookkeeping, shopping and cooking easier.

“Our findings clearly suggest that people who engage in an active programme of mental training in late life can experience long-lasting gains from that training,” said Michael Marsiske, an associate professor of clinical and health psychology at the University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professionals.

The volunteers in the study said they were still reaping the benefits five years after they underwent the cognitive training provided to them by the study’s organisers.

What’s more, at the five-year mark, these volunteers reported less difficulty in performing everyday chores than a “control” group of pensioners who did not get the mental tune-up.

The researchers who conducted the study had previously reported on the short-term benefits of the classroom sessions, chief among them that the immediate impact of the training was sufficient to counteract the cognitive declines seen in healthy older adults over a seven-to-14-year period.—AFP