Parkzeit 2021-2 (EN)

points as well as examples of how to improve them
with practice while also concentrating on strengths.
You’ll really notice the difference, we promise!"
DR MELANIE ROBERTSON
“There are many
ways in which
we can challenge
and train our
brains with different
techniques.”
What to do when my partner becomes forgetful?
It's very common, especially for people with high
levels of education, to be able to cleverly hide
cognitive decline, or at least try to do so. In particular,
such individuals often display extremely little
willingness to have this decline medically clarified.
A good strategy in partnership can then be to
say: "Come on, honey, let's just both do a
neuropsychological exam together."
What is the best way to specifically train my
brain?
There are many ways in which we can challenge
and train our brains with different techniques.
Regularity is essential, and as with physical training,
it is important to avoid routine. Dancing, playing a
game of chess, reading a foreign language book,
learning a new language or solving tricky brain
teasers – these are all things that help make our
brains fitter. These activities bring us joy, too.
Recommended
by the WHO –
guidelines for the
prevention
of dementia
5 GREAT EXERCISES FOR THE
BRAIN THAT ARE REALLY EASY TO
INTEGRATE INTO OUR EVERYDAY
LIFE, EFFECTIVE AND ALSO FUN
Dr Melanie Robertson
Clinical, neuro- and health psychologist, sports and
emergency psychologist, specialising in stress prevention
and acute intervention
Brain fitness
When you forget things, is there a need
for action?
Everyone forgets something every once in a while,
it's nothing to worry about. If, however, you
perceive subjective impairments, such as frequent
forgetfulness in certain situations, you can have
this looked into neuropsychologically. We of
course offer this kind of check-up at Park Igls. Here,
we start with a standardised testing procedure that
takes about an hour and a half to complete. This
can also have preventative benefits as it first and
foremost serves to take away worry.
How important is a ‘healthy lifestyle’ in this
regard?
Poor nutrition, little exercise, alcohol in excess or
smoking are known pathogens that damage the
brain and destroy nerve cells. Everything we know
from the pillars of Modern Mayr Medicine promotes
our health. Getting sufficient sleep and drinking
enough also have a very positive effect on cognitive
performance.
Any other personal tips?
Just stay curious, be inquisitive and keep moving –
it's a simple but wonderful and effective recipe!
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL
EVALUATIONS
Park Igls stands for state-of-the-art
diagnostics at the highest level, which
only very few facilities of this kind can
offer worldwide. Neuropsychological
evaluations are also offered on site. Often
the question arises for those affected
or (just as importantly) for relatives
of those affected, as to when there is
a need for action for medical evaluation.
If subjective losses are perceived
or if a person's private or professional
environment starts to let him or her know
that changes in mental abilities have
occurred, this should be investigated.
It doesn't hurt and it's easy. During a stay
at Park Igls you have the opportunity
(with the utmost discretion) to undergo
such a neuropsychological evaluation.
Standardised test procedures are used in
this diagnostic process in order to create
a targeted, completely personalised
training programme. This examination
takes about one and a half hours.
Incidentally, this can often have the effect
of not only relieving concern, but also
expanding one's own willingness to act.
1 SPELLING WORDS BACKWARDS: It certainly sounds
a lot easier than it is. Tip: Don't start out with the name
of this community in the south of the island of Anglesey
in northwest Wales, which has 58 letters:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogoch.
But drop us a line if you can manage this toughest of
words.
2 WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE NEWS: And then try to
recall the content of the newscast. This is a popular
practice in foreign language training and is a great brain
fitness exercise.
3 SOCIAL CONTACTS: Meeting people on a regular
basis is a great practice in any event. Are your social
contacts from different age groups, perhaps also from
different cultural backgrounds, and are foreign
languages possibly required for conversation? Fantastic,
this is the best kind of brain fitness.
4 CLASSICS: Crossword puzzles or Sudoku help make
the brain fitter. So why not consciously work on such a
puzzle at least once a week? Such puzzles offer a varied
workout for the brain.
5 LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Vocabulary doesn't
usually just fall into your lap, you have to work at it
and that's a good thing! When we learn, our brains are
challenged and we are also rewarded with better
foreign language skills. Ten new vocabulary words a day,
you can do that easily!
22 SPECIAL TOPIC: DEMENTIA SPECIAL TOPIC: DEMENTIA 23