In the first of three articles on overcoming age-related mental decline, we look at the power of concentration, and how to maintain it into old age

The deterioration of concentration

‘Concentration’ is the ability to sustain focused attention on a given object. In fact, you are concentrating right now, as you read these words (lets see if you can make it right to the end!).

Concentration can be external – such as relating to other people, driving a car or eating your lunch – or internal – such as thoughts, feelings or sensations. Although animals can concentrate to some extent (a lion, for example, focusing on its chosen prey), only humans can concentrate on things that do not yet exist (such as a building that exists only in the mind of its architect), or on such abstract notions as ‘infinity’, ‘justice’ or ‘eternity’.

Paradoxically, the power of concentration also involves the ability to pay no attention to irrelevant distractions. These are things that can intrude on your concentration to divert or disrupt the sustained, focused attention. Like concentration itself, these intrusions can be divided into external and internal distractions.

External distractions relate to the physical environment: Noise, interruptions from other people, television, work responsibilities… Once identified, these distractions are often easy to deal with. Internal distractions relate to your body, your thoughts and your emotions: Hunger, tiredness, illness, boredom, stress, daydreaming… Some of these can be easily dealt with once they are identified. Others require practice and/or additional help before they can be managed.

The reasons behind continuing poor concentration – that is, when it feels like a permanent, irreversible condition – are either related to some form of brain impairment (due to an impact or disease) or to a number of age-related changes that take place in the brain. This article will focus on the latter of these causes, the gradual deterioration of concentration and general mental dexterity with age.

The causes of age-related mental decline

As most people age they will experience symptoms of mental deterioration, such as short-term memory loss and difficulties learning new information. Aside from the various forms of age-related dementia, it is likely that up to a third of adults will experience a gradual decline in their mental capabilities as they get older. This, while not interfering with everyday life, is sufficient to impair concentration and memory.

This decline is due to many factors that accumulate over the years, contributing to damaging changes in our brains as we get older:

1. Diet – Clinical tests demonstrate that diets with a high fat intake produce significantly higher risks of mental deterioration. The same has been found for a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Fish, on the other hand, was found to produce a much lower risk of mental decline.1



2. Stress –Studies have shown that stress, both everyday stress and major traumatic stress, causing a rise in the stress hormone epinephrine leads to mild cognitive impairment compared with those possessing normal levels of epinephrine.2



3. Vascular disease – Cerebrovascular disease occurs in the arteries that pass blood to the brain. The result is a reduced rate of blood flow which in turn causes nerve cells in the brain to die prematurely. This was demonstrated in a study of 400 middle-to-old aged men, which revealed that vascular risk factors, such as excessive alcohol intake and higher than normal homocysteine levels, are associated with reduced mental processing capacity and information processing speed. 3



4. Free radicals – These are unstable molecules that are prone to react with other molecules in a damaging process known as oxidation. Areas of the body with high energy output, such as the brain, are particularly vulnerable to damage from free radicals. Animal studies have suggested that diets high in antioxidants (including, for example, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as vitamins C and E) can delay age-related memory loss. 4



5. Inflammation – A number of studies have found a clear link between inflammation and cognitive impairment. One study, for instance, of 2632 elderly participants found that those suffering from metabolic syndrome (a group of symptoms including high blood pressure, high insulin levels, obesity and abnormal blood lipid levels) as well as high inflammation levels were more likely to experience cognitive impairment than those suffering from neither. Those with metabolic syndrome and low inflammation, however, were found not to be at increased risk of mild cognitive impairment. That is, it appears that the level of inflammation was the decisive factor. 5

All of these health issues bring about changes to the brain that are associated with a lessening of mental capacity. A crucial consequence is the decrease in the number of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and acetylcholine. In addition, the number of nerve impulses and nerve cells will also reduce, and the quantity of blood passing through the brain will diminish. This is particularly important as the oxygen and nutrients that are required for the brain to function correctly are carried into the brain by the blood.

Fortunately, many of the problems associated with memory loss and other neurological disturbances are correctable. However, too often in the past, physicians have viewed these detrimental changes to the brain as an inevitable consequence of aging. Indeed, conventional medicine has had little to offer people who visit their physician describing a small decline in their memory or mental abilities. Recent developments, however, have uncovered a number of possible causes behind ‘age-related’ mental decline and identified therapies to enable people to confront it.

What can be done about it?

The best way to maintain a healthy, active brain is to maintain a healthy, active body. This means plenty of exercise, a balanced diet and a good night’s sleep.

On top of this, there are a number of supplements that can compensate, at least partially, for the causes of age-related mental decline that I’ve mentioned. In general these supplements fall into one of three categories: brain stimulants, nerve cell enhancers and blood flow promoters. There are often secondary benefits, however, that cross the category boundaries. The following examples of supplements indicate some of the more popular choices from each of the categories.

Brain stimulants

Adrafinil and Modafinil are the sole members of a new class of drugs called Eugeroics, which literally translates as ‘good arousal’.

Adrafinil is designed to bring about increased levels of vigilance and alertness, while Modafinil is a psychostimulant used to improve memory and brighten moods. The basis of Eugeroics’ uniqueness lies in their ability to stimulate only when stimulation is required, unlike most other ‘brain wakening’ drugs.

Adrafinil and Modafinil selectively stimulate adrenergic receptors in the brain that normally respond to norepinephrine (noradrenaline), a neurotransmitter linked to alertness, learning, and memory. This highly focused activity profile may account for Adrafinil and Modafinil's relative lack of adverse side effects compared to conventional stimulants which have a much broader spectrum of activity. Unlike these other stimulants, there are no ‘highs and lows’; minimal anxiety, agitation and insomnia; sleep patterns remain unaffected; and they are non-addictive.

Nerve cell enhancers

Deprenyl is a potent neuro-protector and a selective MAO-B inhibitor. MAO-A and MAO-B are the primary enzymes responsible for degrading neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Increased MAO levels may be associated with age-related neuronal deterioration and Parkinson’s disease.

Although Parkinson's disease remains the only FDA approved indication for Deprenyl in the USA, with a number of ongoing clinical studies evaluating its efficacy in Alzheimer's disease, anecdotal reports from both physicians and patients refer to dramatic improvement in an impressive range of diseases.

Centrophenoxine rejuvenates nerve cells by reducing their levels of lipofuscin. Lipofuscin is the name given to the biochemical clutter that accumulates in the body’s cells over time. The more lipofuscin a cell accumulates, the less functional it becomes. In aged animals, levels of lipofuscin can reach up to 30% of cell volume.

Numerous animal experiments measuring memory and learning abilities have demonstated how aged animals with their lipofuscin levels reduced by Centrophenoxine have their memory and learning abilities restored to a level similar to that of a healthy young animal.

Blood flow promoters

Hydergine has been known of since the 1940s. It stimulates blood flow to the brain, increasing the delivery of oxygen and relieving symptoms of deteriorating mental activity. This was demonstrated in an experiment where two groups of cats were anaesthetized and their brains electronically monitored. The blood supply to all the cats’ brains was reduced (and therefore the oxygen supply). The cats in the ‘no Hydergine’ group had brain damage within 5 minutes and died within 15 minutes. However, the cats in the ‘Hydergine treated’ group had strong brain wave patterns up to 45 minutes later.

Nicergoline has alpha-adrenolytic action which activates the brain's metabolism and improves arterial flow, lowers vascular resistance and improves the use of glucose and oxygen. Currently used in the battle to treat senile dementia, Nicergoline has been found to improve mental agility through enhancing perception and vigilance. In this way it differs from the effects of Hydergine (to which it is chemically similar). That is, Hydergine extends the period of useful mental workload, and has been designated as an IQ booster, whereas Nicergoline appears to enhance clarity, perception and vigilance.

Xanthinol Nicotinate (XN) is a form of Niacin (vitamin B3) that passes easily through cell membranes. It is the most potent form of Niacin available. XN has been shown to increase brain glucose metabolism and boost brain ATP levels as well as improve brain blood flow. As such, XN has been used to treat insufficient blood flow to the arteries and the extremities, short-term memory disorders and lack of brain energy that compromises vigilance, concentration and attention. Furthermore, XN has been clinically shown to improve the reaction speed of the elderly.

Picamilone is a chemical derived from gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) and nicotinic acid. It rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier to increase the rate of intracranial and cortex blood circulation. Picamilone has been cited as a better vasodilator than either Hydergine or Vinpocetine. Studies carried out in Russia have shown that patients with mild to moderate memory impairment and emotional, hearing and speech difficulties, noticeably improved after taking a course of Picamilone.

Aging is all in the mind

Your brain is the most intricate part of your body. Which is not surprising, as it controls virtually every metabolic function required to keep you alive. Held within the compact and remarkable structure of the brain are several thousand miles of interconnected nerve cells which control not only every movement, but every thought, sensation and emotion that make us what we are.

Just a few years ago, doctors and scientists assumed that the process of age-related cognitive decline was unavoidable and unstoppable. They believed that the number of neurotransmitters would decrease, the quantity of nerve impulses and nerve cells would go down, and the amount of oxygen reaching the brain would dwindle. Now, however, opinions have changed and it is generally accepted that mental decline is no longer an inevitable consequence of aging.

The same lifestyle factors that govern physical health can also help to preserve mental health. By identifying areas of risk now, such as in your diet and lifestyle, you may be able to stave off any serious mental decline in the future. And, thanks to the rejuvenating powers of supplements, only some of which have been mentioned in this article, it may be possible to pre-empt mental decline and maintain youthful mental agility for the rest of your life.

If you’re still reading this article then your concentration can’t be too bad. But remember, prevention is better than cure. It’s never to late, or too early, to get a better brain!

In the following articles in this series, I will discuss specific mental difficulties, such as Attention Deficit Disorder and Alzheimer’s Disease, and how supplements can help to overcome them. Then, in the third and final article, I will focus on ‘smart drugs’ and how they can be used to turbocharge the mind!

References:

1 Solfrizzi V et al 2005; Solfrizzi V et al 2003; Solfrizzi V et al 1999; Panza F et al 2004; Capurso A et al 2000
2 Karlamangla AS et al 2005
3 Aleman A et al 2005
4 Joseph JA et al 1998; Perrig WJ et al 1997
5 Yaffe K et al 1998