The Centre for Extension Education (CEE) organised a talk featuring Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) lecturer Nizar Abdul Majeed Kutty who talked about “Attaining Cognitive Fitness” at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 6 November 2019.

The talk aimed to equip participants with a basic understanding of cognitive fitness and techniques to help maximise the brain’s function in achieving cognitive fitness. From the talk, participants were able to explore new ideas and alternative perspectives which allowed them to change behaviours and realise their goals.

In his talk, he spoke about sex difference and memory, short-term memory, working memory, cognitive reserve, long-term memory, cognitive aging, cognitive skills, mild cognitive impairment, risk factors, key facts about cognitive impairment, cognitive fitness in sports, types of pollution affecting the cognitive fitness, genetic susceptibility, stress and ways to prevent cognitive decline.

He said, “Exercise is important for maintaining both physical fitness and cognitive performance. Increased physical activity has a direct and relatively rapid effect on cognition and brain health. The Harvard Medical School doctors shared a six-step programme that can yield lasting results. The six steps include eating a plant-based diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, managing your stress, nurturing social contacts and continuing to challenge your brain.”

He added, “The few common signs of cognitive impairment include memory loss, frequent repetition of asking and telling, unable to recognise familiar people and places, difficulty in exercising judgment, changes in mood or behaviour and difficulty in planning and carrying out tasks. Indeed, some abilities, mostly those broadly termed fluid, decrease with age, such as processing speed, working memory capacity, associative memory, executive functioning and reasoning. On the other hand, abilities associated with experience, cultural and social processes and measures of crystallised intelligence remain preserved even in old age.”