Reading, writing, and reserve: Literacy activities are linked to hippocampal volume and memory in multiple sclerosis
James F Sumowski1, Maria A Rocca2, Victoria M Leavitt3
1Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA/Manhattan Memory Center, New York, NY, USA jfs2013@columbia.edu.
Background:
Engagement in cognitive leisure activities during early adulthood has been linked to preserved memory and larger hippocampal volume in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Objective:
To investigate which specific types of cognitive leisure activities contribute to hippocampal volume and memory.
Methods:
We investigated links between three types of cognitive activities (Reading-Writing, Art-Music, Games-Hobbies) and (a) hippocampal volume within independent samples of Italian (n=187) and American (n=55) MS patients and (b) memory in subsamples of Italian (n=97) and American (n=53) patients.
Results:
Reading-Writing was the only predictor of hippocampal volume (rp=.204, p=.002), and the best predictor of memory (rp=.288, p=.001).
Conclusions:
Findings inform the development of targeted evidence-based enrichment programs aiming to bolster reserve against memory decline.
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