Cognitively normal elderly individuals who engage in specific mentally stimulating activities, even in late life, have a decreased risk of incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a recent study found. The associations, however, may vary by apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype (APOE ε4) carrier status. The cohort consisted of 1,929 cognitively normal persons (median age at baseline, 77 years; 50.4% [n=973] female) who were followed up to the outcome of incident MCI. Researchers found:

• During a median follow-up period of 4 years, it was observed that playing games and engaging in craft activities, computer use, and social activities were associated with a decreased risk of incident MCI.
• In a stratified analysis by APOE ε4 carrier status, the data point toward the lowest risk of incident MCI for APOE ɛ4 non-carriers who engage in mentally stimulating activities and toward the highest risk of incident MCI for APOE ɛ4 carriers who do not engage in mentally stimulating activities.