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To address the debate about whether mental exercise prevents dementia, Hong Kong investigators examined comprehensive medical and cognitive evaluations at baseline and a median of 5 years later in 15,582 initially nondemented individuals (median age, 74). Missing follow-up evaluations were completed by the investigators. During health assessments, nurses used activity questionnaires to determine the frequency and type of social (e.g., visiting family), recreational (e.g., watching TV), and intellectual activities (e.g., reading, playing games such as Mahjong, and betting on horse races) during the previous month.
Almost everyone participated in some sort of activity. However, participants who did not develop dementia engaged in significantly…