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Can Computer Brain Games Prevent Dementia?

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An estimated 5.7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, according to theAlzheimer’s Association. In order to combat Alzheimer’s deteriorating effects on the minds of millions, the University of South Florida is conducting a new study which aims to determine if cognitive exercises done on computers can prevent, or delay, the effects of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease. The study, funded by a $2.7 million grant from theNational Institute of Health, will train 1600 older adults to use various mind strengthening activities, like puzzles and brain games, to see if there is any impact on whether they later develop dementia or Alzheimer's

Join us as we discuss details of the new study, “Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease with Cognitive Training,” withDr. Jerri Edwards, a professor at the USF college of medicine. Dr. Edwards works in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, where she and her colleagues conduct studies at theUSF Cognitive Aging Lab. Anyone interested in participating can contact the research team at813-974-6703, or usfcognitiveagelab@gmail.com.

Copyright 2019 WGCU

Julie Glenn is the host of Gulf Coast Live. She has been working in southwest Florida as a freelance writer since 2007, most recently as a regular columnist for the Naples Daily News. She began her broadcasting career in 1993 as a reporter/anchor/producer for a local CBS affiliate in Quincy, Illinois. After also working for the NBC affiliate, she decided to move to Parma, Italy where she earned her Master’s degree in communication from the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Her undergraduate degree in Mass Communication is from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Mike Kiniry is producer of Gulf Coast Live, and co-creator and host of the WGCU podcast Three Song Stories: Biography Through Music. He first joined the WGCU team in the summer of 2003 as an intern while studying Communication at Florida Gulf Coast University.