0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're on a search to find the best ways of keeping us all young.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09SHE LAUGHS UPROARIOUSLY
0:00:09 > 0:00:12So far, we've looked at the body.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Wow!
0:00:16 > 0:00:19This time, it's what we can do for our brains.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25I'm Angela Rippon. I'm a TV journalist and 71 years old.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31I'm interested in finding out what I can do to stay sharp
0:00:31 > 0:00:32for as long as possible.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'm Chris van Tulleken. I'm a doctor and a research scientist.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40And at 36, I'm half Angela's age.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44But I know I'm not doing the best job to look after
0:00:44 > 0:00:46myself for getting older.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49But if there's one thing I should work hard to take care of,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51it's my brain.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Brain science is one of the fastest-growing areas of research.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58And scientists now know more about what
0:00:58 > 0:01:01we can do to keep our minds young than ever before.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08So, we're scouring the world to uncover the latest research
0:01:08 > 0:01:11that'll help all of us to give our brains a boost.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17In Japan, a remarkable 100-year-old reveals the colourful foods
0:01:17 > 0:01:20that will keep our minds more active.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27We carry out our own scientific test to find out the best
0:01:27 > 0:01:31exercise we can do for our brains.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36I just feel better. I actually feel like the cobwebs are blowing.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40In America, I try out a new treatment that's proven
0:01:40 > 0:01:42to help memory and concentration.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Should I be applying for a job with the United States Air Force?
0:01:45 > 0:01:48- I think so, yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And at the cutting-edge of science, we discover how
0:01:51 > 0:01:55injections of young people's blood may help beat dementia.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Is it the Fountain of Youth? It might be.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Now that I'm in my early seventies,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12there are obvious signs of my body ageing on the outside.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18But what I want to find out is, what happens to our brain as we age?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- It's going to be noisy, isn't it?- It is.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27'So I've come to this clinic in London to have an MRI scan
0:02:27 > 0:02:30'of my brain. It's uncharted territory, this.'
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Now, I have what you might call a rather quirky kind of brain and memory,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39because I have an almost photographic memory,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43which means that I can absorb and retain all sorts of research
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and information. Really, anything to do with my job.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52But at the same time, I can very easily walk into a room
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and say, "What the heck did I come in here for?"
0:02:55 > 0:02:59And I'm always saying, "Where have I put my glasses?"
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- You'll be talking to me? - I'll be talking to you.- OK.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06'Lots of people of people my age experience this sort of absent-mindedness.'
0:03:06 > 0:03:08OK?
0:03:08 > 0:03:11'And the scan could reveal changes to my brain that explain it.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Jimmy Bell, professor of medicine, will supervise the scanning.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- OK, Angela. How are you? - Fine, thank you.- Excellent.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26So, in the brain we are hoping to see whether
0:03:26 > 0:03:29there have been changes in your overall grey matter,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32which is the bit of your brain that does all of the thinking
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and the function and these are known to change with age.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37OK.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'While the scan itself is straightforward enough,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45'I'm naturally concerned that it might reveal something serious.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:56'This is a rare opportunity to be able to peer inside my own brain.'
0:03:56 > 0:03:59So what happens as we get older?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The total volume of your brain shrinks down.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07At the age of 40, that starts decreasing by about 5% every decade.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It accelerates by the age of 70.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14You lose about 20% by the age of 70.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16This is a shocking statistic!
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I had no idea that on average, people of my age
0:04:20 > 0:04:23will have lost a fifth of their brain capacity.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26The natural shrinkage of the brain as we age
0:04:26 > 0:04:30is caused by individual nerve cells dying over time.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35This is real footage showing brain cells dying and disappearing.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44So how does my brain there compare with somebody in their twenties or their thirties?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Well, it has actually shrunk, the grey matter has shrunk a small
0:04:47 > 0:04:50amount, but not as much as you see in the general population.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54So the age of your brain will be more around the age of 40, 50,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56rather than in their seventies.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Given that my brain could have been 20% smaller,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05it's actually good news that it's only shrunk 5%.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09But the loss of some of my little grey cells
0:05:09 > 0:05:13might explain my occasional absentmindedness.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Have you ever had episodes
0:05:14 > 0:05:17where you forget things more often than you used to?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I'm always losing the car keys, always.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25But I have a pretty healthy attitude towards the way that my brain is ageing.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27That I remember the things that are important
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and the car keys'll turn up sooner or later anyway. LAUGHTER
0:05:32 > 0:05:35For many others, this natural shrinkage of the brain
0:05:35 > 0:05:38can have a huge impact on who we are,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43affecting our memory, reasoning skills and even our emotions.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46It's made me all the more determined to find out just how the
0:05:46 > 0:05:50latest science can help us slow down the ageing of the brain.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56But first, why do the brains of some people decline more than others?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Edinburgh is home to one of the world's most important studies
0:06:04 > 0:06:07into how brains age.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Everyone in this group is exactly 79 years old.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15You can see they've all physically aged differently
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and so have their brains.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22- Can everyone see themselves on my screen? - CAMERA CLICKS
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Ian Deary, professor of psychology,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28has studied changes in the group's mental abilities over their whole lives.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34I will be brief, because like you lot, I now need to go to the loo.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36LAUGHTER
0:06:36 > 0:06:39When the people in this room were 11 years old, they took
0:06:39 > 0:06:43a test along with thousands of other children all across Scotland.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47And the test assessed their mental abilities and, crucially,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51that data formed a benchmark, a baseline, which enabled
0:06:51 > 0:06:55those scientists to then retest them repeatedly over the years
0:06:55 > 0:06:57and assess the performance
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and track changes between the young and the old brains.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Have you seen these?
0:07:02 > 0:07:08They are two people's brains from the Lothian birth cohort of 1936.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13You'll see that one has got a lot of spaces between the ridges
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and one has a relatively few.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19And that's the heart of what we're trying to study in this project,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21is why some people's brains
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and thinking skills age better than others.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31One of the key purposes of the study was to find out how much ageing
0:07:31 > 0:07:35of the brain was down to genes and how much was down to lifestyle.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41Ian's team tested each person for over 600,000 genetic factors.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45The results are fascinating.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48This is what we're trying to look at.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The differences between people in how they've aged
0:07:51 > 0:07:55from childhood to older age, and we found that about a quarter
0:07:55 > 0:07:59of these differences seem to be caused by genetic factors.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Ian's research proves that genes play only a relatively small role
0:08:05 > 0:08:08in how our brains age. Just a quarter.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Instead, upbringing and lifestyle
0:08:10 > 0:08:13have the bigger impact on brain health.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18I feel like we've generally been on the side of the genes
0:08:18 > 0:08:21for the last decade or so. We've felt like that.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I think the answer was nobody was very clear how much genes
0:08:24 > 0:08:28contributed to cognitive change across the life course.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It's really important, because it means how our brains change
0:08:31 > 0:08:33over time is not set in stone.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And we can all do something to improve our brain health.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Here's to you! Who's like you? Naebody! OK, well done!
0:08:40 > 0:08:43APPLAUSE
0:08:55 > 0:08:57In recent years, much scientific research has
0:08:57 > 0:09:01focused on exercise as being good for the brain.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04But are some types of exercise better than others?
0:09:04 > 0:09:08This is the European Veteran Table Tennis Championships in Finland.
0:09:10 > 0:09:142,500 competitors, many over 80 years of age.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20The players themselves suspect table tennis benefits their minds.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26It keeps me agile and quick-thinking.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29You've got to be watching the ball carefully all the time
0:09:29 > 0:09:32and thinking all the time what you're doing.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Obviously, they're trying to suss out your weaknesses as well,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39so it's a bit of, you know, trying to fox each other very often.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46But what can physical exercise do for our brain?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Some scientists believe that exertion helps general
0:09:49 > 0:09:51blood flow to the brain.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Others think that activities like table tennis,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56with lots of hand-to-eye coordination,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58might be especially beneficial.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03So to find out, we're sitting up our own test.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06To pit table tennis against simple walking.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16We've gathered 22 volunteers, each over the age of 60.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17Each keen to find out
0:10:17 > 0:10:20whether table tennis or walking
0:10:20 > 0:10:23is better at keeping their brain younger.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Many of them have noticed their minds are not as sharp
0:10:25 > 0:10:27as they used to be.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Sometimes you try and recall something and you think,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33"Oh, where's that gone?"
0:10:33 > 0:10:35The other day, I had a really senior moment.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And I'm frightened of what might come.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41I already find that, you know, I forget where I've put things,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44but I think that's normal, for people of my age.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Each volunteer is randomly assigned a group.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Either the table tennis group...
0:10:53 > 0:10:55or the walking group.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Running the study is Dr Matthew Kempton from King's College London.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Table tennis is a very interesting activity to look at,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08because we know that it's very fast-moving, there's a competitive
0:11:08 > 0:11:11angle, there's hand-eye coordination in there as well.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15And we think that might lead to changes in blood flow to the brain
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and also changes in cognition as well.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Walking's certainly very good exercise.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Do you think table tennis is really going to beat it?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Just hitting a little ball with a bat?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I think it's very hard to determine that, and I think that's what makes
0:11:27 > 0:11:30this experiment really interesting to look at.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- So, I really can't say.- That's the answer of a true scientist.- Exactly.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38"I don't know the answer, so we're going to do a test to find out!" That is fair enough.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Before any exercise begins,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44we need a baseline measurement of each volunteer's overall brainpower.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50When you're ready, push the "start the test" button on your screen.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Away you go.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01So, we're going to test memory, reaction speed, attention
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and a thing called executive function, which is
0:12:03 > 0:12:08a set of mental skills that allows us to do complicated tasks,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11where you have to prioritise, plan, organise. Things like that.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14This test is designed to get into all the nooks
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and crannies of your brain and see what's going on.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21As well as memory and thinking skills,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23we're also tracking their emotional wellbeing.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33We'll repeat the same tests in ten weeks after their exercise regimes
0:12:33 > 0:12:35to see if they've improved at all.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Some volunteers are also having their brains scanned.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52We'll want to discover if exercise can slow down the natural shrinkage
0:12:52 > 0:12:56of the brain as we get older, or even make parts of the brain larger.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08The 11 walkers will do one hour of brisk walking, twice a week.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10To stop skiving, they wear a pedometer.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Some of them have not done much walking for a while.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Excited and apprehensive,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20because the thought of walking three miles is...
0:13:20 > 0:13:21Appals me.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27There's a very personal reason why Pat volunteered to take part.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29It's very, very important at my age.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I'm very aware of memory.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I see a lot of much older people,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and my father in particular has Alzheimer's
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and vascular dementia, and I don't want to end up like him.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I've seen it now, close-up, and it's a terrible thing
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and I intend to keep my brain healthy.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48And if exercise is a way of doing it, then I'm going to do it.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56The table tennis group will also train for one hour, twice a week.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Come on in.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Putting them through their paces
0:14:04 > 0:14:08are table tennis professionals Mariola and Olaf.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- No pressure.- No pressure! Yet.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Everyone is over 60 here. Do you think you're really going to achieve a lot?
0:14:14 > 0:14:18When I coach people, then the age doesn't matter.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22They will have phenomenal transformation in terms
0:14:22 > 0:14:25of their confidence, the realisation, their hand-eye coordination skills.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27A-one, two, hit!
0:14:27 > 0:14:31I think I'm slowing down, mentally, so this will be brilliant for me.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I think it'll liven my brain up, I do, really.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38But some of the other players are unconvinced that table tennis could help.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Whether it's going to affect my brain function, I don't know.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I'm very sceptical as to whether this is going to have
0:14:46 > 0:14:48any significant effect.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50We'll see.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54So which will win out? Table tennis or walking?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57We've got two groups, two activities, ten weeks.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I cannot wait to see who does better.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Exercise is not the only factor that science has shown to help
0:15:04 > 0:15:06protect the brain.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13BEE BUZZES
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Some clues about what's best for our brains can be found
0:15:19 > 0:15:22on the island of Okinawa, off Japan.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The Okinawans live longer than people anywhere else
0:15:28 > 0:15:32in the world and far fewer of their elderly get dementia.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Rates of brain disease here can be up to 50% lower than in the West.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Scientists believe they've pinpointed the key factors to
0:15:44 > 0:15:47this astonishing protection.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48THEY SPEAK IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:15:48 > 0:15:50CLAPPING
0:15:53 > 0:15:58This is one 85-year-old you don't want to mess with.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Toshio Higa is a master of karate and thinks
0:16:04 > 0:16:07having a healthy brain has much to do with
0:16:07 > 0:16:11the way that their society treats older people.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13A respect for elders is written into Japanese law.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31A study of five communities around the world, where people live
0:16:31 > 0:16:35healthily the longest, has confirmed the benefit of respect.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39All these places have elderly who are highly valued.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45But the other factor that scientists think keeps
0:16:45 > 0:16:49the brains of the Okinawans so sharp is the food that they eat.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Shimpuku Komaki is 100 years old.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00One of the many centenarians here whose diet keeps him healthy.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04His daughter, Mishiu, cooks for him.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24"Nuchi gusui" means "food is medicine".
0:17:24 > 0:17:28But what is it about their diet that maintains a healthy brain?
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Professor Craig Wilcox runs the Okinawan Centenarian Study.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE
0:17:39 > 0:17:43He's been investigating the local diet here for the last decade.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47He's discovered a vegetable which he believes plays a key role
0:17:47 > 0:17:49in maintaining their vigorous health.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56Sweet potatoes have been a go-to to the Okinawans for a long time,
0:17:56 > 0:18:02because they're easy to grow, they're very economical to produce
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and they're powerhouses of nutrition.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11On average, the Okinawans eat a huge amount of this purple sweet potato every day.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Over half a kilo each.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18It's not the ice cream truck that visits your house in Okinawa, it's the sweet-potato truck!
0:18:20 > 0:18:24People do eat ice cream in Okinawa, they eat sweet-potato ice cream!
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Like most Okinawans, Mr Shimpuku loves purple sweet potato.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47- Hi!- Hi!- Hi, konichiwa!- Konichiwa! - Hi!
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Craig thinks this vegetable can help explain the astonishing low rates
0:18:51 > 0:18:54of dementia in Okinawa.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57And an 80% reduced chance of heart disease.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04It's all because the purple sweet potato helps maintain healthy blood vessels.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Blood vessel health is very important for prevention
0:19:09 > 0:19:10of cardiovascular disease.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Of course, the cardiovascular disease risk factors
0:19:13 > 0:19:17are also risk factors for vascular dementia,
0:19:17 > 0:19:22so we want to keep our arteries
0:19:22 > 0:19:24healthy, supple and young.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29This is why centenarians such as Mr Shinpuku in Okinawa
0:19:29 > 0:19:32fare so much better than their counterparts in the West.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Mr Shinpuku is a great role model for ageing.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41I mean, the guy's 100 years old and zipping around on his moped.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46His diet is a wonderful support for his healthy ageing
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and he's got the perfect prescription to live
0:19:49 > 0:19:51another few years past 100.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56But what is it inside the purple sweet potato
0:19:56 > 0:19:58that gives it these extraordinary powers?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07To discover the active substance in this vegetable
0:20:07 > 0:20:10we've had them scientifically tested back in the UK.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Paul Kroon is a scientist at the Norwich Institute of Food Research.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21He's honed in on a set of compounds that could be the key.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26So, Paul, what have you found?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Well, we were looking for some specific compounds
0:20:29 > 0:20:31in the purple sweet potatoes
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and what this analysis showed us
0:20:33 > 0:20:36is that those purple sweet potatoes contain these compounds
0:20:36 > 0:20:38called anthocyanins.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41So when we see all these peaks here,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43they are due to anthocyanins that have come out of that
0:20:43 > 0:20:46purple sweet potato and that is what we are seeing.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Anthocyanins are pigments found in the cells of certain plants.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56They give this sweet potato its rich purple colour.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Paul believes it is these compounds that are a major player
0:21:00 > 0:21:02in the Okinawans' brain health.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08We can confirm some of the information that has been
0:21:08 > 0:21:10coming out of Japan.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13There is good scientific evidence now that these compounds seem
0:21:13 > 0:21:15to be quite good at keeping blood flow going.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17It provides the nutrients and the oxygen
0:21:17 > 0:21:19your brain needs to work well.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24But the purple sweet potato is an exotic vegetable in the UK
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and really difficult to obtain.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32So what foods available over here might provide the same benefit?
0:21:33 > 0:21:34The fruits that contain the most,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36that really pack that anthocyanin punch,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40are things like blackcurrants, blueberries and blackberries.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43These three fruits, especially the blackcurrants,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46all contain huge amounts of anthocyanins.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Vegetables such as aubergines and red cabbage contained less,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54about the same as the purple sweet potato.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58But as portions of vegetables are often larger than fruit,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02the intake of anthocyanin is still high.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06So is it time to pack our diets with even more of these colourful foods?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08We think they are very important and that the evidence
0:22:08 > 0:22:11is strengthening about the benefits they have.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Are you actually saying, then, that anthocyanins
0:22:14 > 0:22:16can help keep your brain young?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Yes.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Now, there is still more research to do,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22but we now know not just five fruit and veg a day
0:22:22 > 0:22:25but perhaps you should include two purple ones in your diet
0:22:25 > 0:22:27because we have established sufficient evidence
0:22:27 > 0:22:30that it's consistently as good for your brain or for other
0:22:30 > 0:22:32elements of your health.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36So, if we want a healthier brain and heart
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and to slow down the natural shrinkage of the brain,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42we should eat a lot more fruit and vegetables,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44especially the purple ones.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Later on, we look at futuristic brain research projects
0:22:52 > 0:22:56from the realms of science fiction that are now becoming a reality.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Angela is with the US military to find out first-hand
0:23:01 > 0:23:06whether electrical brain stimulation can improve concentration
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and in California I join scientists carrying out the first trial
0:23:10 > 0:23:12into whether injections of young people's blood
0:23:12 > 0:23:15can reverse the effects of dementia.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23But first, it's time to catch up
0:23:23 > 0:23:25with our exercise challenge.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Ten weeks ago, we started an experiment to discover if
0:23:28 > 0:23:30table tennis or brisk walking
0:23:30 > 0:23:33is better at protecting our brains as we age.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39The two groups are just completing their exercise regimes.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41The table tennis lot have already noticed
0:23:41 > 0:23:43that they feel physically stronger
0:23:43 > 0:23:46and they've especially enjoyed the social aspect of the game.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50He's only 60.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52The group is amazing.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54There was some alchemy there, some magic
0:23:54 > 0:23:58and we've been out and had coffee together and,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01you know, I went to the theatre with a couple of them.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04The walkers are also benefiting.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07I just feel better.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11I actually feel like cobwebs are blowing.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I feel more alert.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14I think I can say I feel more alert.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Everyone is regrouping to find out the scientific results.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24So I'm very excited about these results today
0:24:24 > 0:24:27because no-one has ever put brisk walking
0:24:27 > 0:24:30head-to-head in a test like this with table tennis
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and I'm hoping that the results will give us
0:24:33 > 0:24:36the first inkling of how these different activities
0:24:36 > 0:24:38affect our brain in different ways,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and hopefully, which one is better for us.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50They are redoing everything they did before,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52problem-solving, the memory tests
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and the emotional wellbeing assessment.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Ted, you have had ten weeks of ping pong.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04How do you think the test went second time around?
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- Much better than the first.- Really?
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Yes, I felt really pleased,
0:25:09 > 0:25:16but there has been another, probably unintended, bonus for me.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19I've been a lot less depressed
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and I sleep better.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23I must say, I am enormously pleased to hear that.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Helping Matthew Kempton crunch the data is Dr Francesca Cormack.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34There are three sets of results.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38First up, which group improved the most on the cognitive tests.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45So, the moment we have all been waiting for for ten weeks.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Table tennis versus walking.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Francesca, Matt, what are the results?
0:25:50 > 0:25:51OK. Well, let me show you.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55MURMUR OF REACTION FROM AUDIENCE
0:25:57 > 0:26:00We see an improvement in both groups,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04but, in fact, the walking group show the largest improvement
0:26:04 > 0:26:06in cognition after ten weeks.
0:26:07 > 0:26:13Are you surprised that walking had so substantially more benefits?
0:26:13 > 0:26:14It is certainly an interesting finding.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16It could be that those in the walking group
0:26:16 > 0:26:20were exerting themselves more and that was stimulating the brain.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24The second set of results covers any physical changes
0:26:24 > 0:26:27to the structure of the brain.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Amazingly, over just ten weeks,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32the brains of the walkers have altered dramatically.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35They've a lot more neurons
0:26:35 > 0:26:39in the part of the brain called the hippocampus.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42A larger hippocampus boosts memory and an ability to learn.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Matthew believes that the walkers had more aerobic activity
0:26:48 > 0:26:50and this led to all the extra neurons.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56It's possible that this increase in aerobic activity
0:26:56 > 0:26:58has actually released some chemicals in the brain
0:26:58 > 0:27:01which stimulates these new neurons to be born
0:27:01 > 0:27:03and their survival as well.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Parts of the brain of the table tennis players also enlarged.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14This was the cortex, the grey matter on the outer surface of the brain.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18So, we've got something nice to tell the table tennis group.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22We had an increase in cortical thickness
0:27:22 > 0:27:24in those playing table tennis.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Our cortex is responsible for complex thinking.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31It's especially remarkable that it enlarged
0:27:31 > 0:27:35as it is the part of the brain that shrinks the most as we age.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40So why do you think this has happened in the table tennis group?
0:27:40 > 0:27:43What might be happening is the connections
0:27:43 > 0:27:46that grow between the brain cells are increasing
0:27:46 > 0:27:50and we know that occurs sometimes with learning a new skill.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52So, in this case, the table tennis group,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55perhaps, as they were learning this new skill,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59there's this change in the microstructure of the brain.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04So learning a new skill like table tennis
0:28:04 > 0:28:07can improve our mental sharpness and rewire our brain.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Are you surprised by knowing that you've got a thicker
0:28:12 > 0:28:14thinking bit of your brain?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16I'm delighted.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19And I will certainly be making more use of it.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20LAUGHTER
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Our third and final results measure improvements
0:28:24 > 0:28:27in the participants' emotional wellbeing.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Here there was an extra benefit of playing table tennis.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38We also measured people's emotional states,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41so how they rated positive and negative emotions.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46So, they had fewer negative emotions than the walkers did.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49So, yes, they seem to be benefiting more from this.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Regular exercise can reduce anxiety
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and increase the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02And because the table tennis players did their training in a group,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06these chemicals encourage us to become extra sociable.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11For Ted, his mood lift now makes sense.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Suddenly feeling undepressed more often than usual
0:29:17 > 0:29:19is now explained.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20Now I'm very happy.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24It's proven what I felt was happening
0:29:24 > 0:29:26but I couldn't explain it.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29I think the social aspect of ours was important.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31We felt better for it. We had a great time.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34That's really nice. So, are you going to keep doing it?
0:29:34 > 0:29:39There is a Monday table tennis that goes on for older people
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and I will be going back whenever I can on Mondays.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48So both groups saw key improvements to their brains
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and we, too, could get the benefits from these different forms
0:29:51 > 0:29:54of exercise to help protect our own brains.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00That is such a win, with both groups doing really well
0:30:00 > 0:30:03across the board and everyone seeing an improvement.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06The walkers just pipped the table tennis players
0:30:06 > 0:30:09at those tests of cognition, of thinking,
0:30:09 > 0:30:13but if I personally had to pick one change
0:30:13 > 0:30:14that I would make to my brain
0:30:14 > 0:30:18it would be those mood changes that we saw improve so much
0:30:18 > 0:30:19in the table tennis players
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and that is because having a happy brain is the best way that
0:30:22 > 0:30:25I can think of of having a healthy brain.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28So, if you have got to put it all into one package,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31I guess the answer is you've got to walk to your table tennis lesson.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40So there are clearly benefits to the brain from physical exercise.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43But what is the best way of exercising the brain itself?
0:30:45 > 0:30:48The latest science now shows that what develops your brain
0:30:48 > 0:30:50the most is the process of learning a new skill.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57What seems increasingly to be more important than any specific activity
0:30:57 > 0:30:59is that you have to take up something new
0:30:59 > 0:31:01that works different parts of the brain.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Learning a task for the first time, like, for me, the guitar,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09stretches your mind more.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12It challenges different aspects of the brain.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14You have to study how to read music
0:31:14 > 0:31:18and you have to be highly co-ordinated with your fingers.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21And that is really difficult,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23as you can hear.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24HE TRIES TO PLAY A SCALE
0:31:33 > 0:31:36It's all about stimulating the old grey matter in new ways.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42So, let's say you do the same set of Sudoku puzzles for ten years
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and you find them relatively easy. That is not challenging your brain.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Life drawing is better for your brain than Sudoku.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Each picture is a fresh challenge,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56working different parts of the brain.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00My 77-year-old dad, Anthony, has sketched most of his life.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- So why do you do it? - Because it is not easy to do.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07It is not easy to get right.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Every time you've got a blank page,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13you've got to try and solve the problem that is set by the model.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Do you think that doing stuff like this keeps you mentally active?
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Yeah, definitely. Yeah.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25There is strong scientific evidence for one other skill
0:32:25 > 0:32:28being especially good for your brain.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Learning a second language.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37All that grammar, pronunciation and memorisation of vocabulary
0:32:37 > 0:32:39has been shown to actually increase the size
0:32:39 > 0:32:41of different parts of the brain.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45So, if we continue to learn as we get older
0:32:45 > 0:32:48it can have a dramatically positive impact
0:32:48 > 0:32:51and the best activities to do are those that really stretch us.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06So far, we've looked at ways to improve brain function.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09But how do you also protect against brain disease?
0:33:11 > 0:33:14One of the things we worry about most in old age is dementia.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Nearly two thirds of the UK population
0:33:17 > 0:33:20put it top of their concerns about old age.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24The majority fear it more than cancer.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29And I have a personal connection with a particular form of dementia.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35My late mother, Edna, had vascular dementia
0:33:35 > 0:33:39and that means that over a period of about six or seven years
0:33:39 > 0:33:45I saw the mother that I had known for the best part of 60 years
0:33:45 > 0:33:49gradually just disappear and be replaced by someone else,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53as the illness took its hold and just changed her completely.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58My mother was a strong, active woman all her life...
0:34:00 > 0:34:03..but in her early 80s, signs of the disease crept in.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09As her principal carer, I had, believe you me,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12a very sharp learning curve,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16dealing with the ever-changing social and medical demands
0:34:16 > 0:34:21of the illness, as well, of course, as coming to terms with her death
0:34:21 > 0:34:24from an illness for which there is no cure.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Research groups are now working hard to unravel
0:34:30 > 0:34:33the causes of dementia all around the world.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40I've come to Minnesota in the United States.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Here, a fascinating study is pinpointing why some people
0:34:46 > 0:34:48develop Alzheimer's and others don't.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54It's all to do with how we learn.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01And the research subjects are rather special.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05They are nuns.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12600 women from the School Sisters Of Notre Dame are involved
0:35:12 > 0:35:14in this study that has been running for 30 years.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19They make an ideal study group because they tend to lead
0:35:19 > 0:35:22healthy lives, so the natural effects of ageing
0:35:22 > 0:35:24are easier to measure.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27ORGAN PLAYS
0:35:35 > 0:35:38One nun taking part is Sister Mary Lewis.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40She's a sprightly 99.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45How did you learn to play the organ?
0:35:45 > 0:35:49My mother saw to it that all of us took piano lessons.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Somebody came to me and said I'm going to teach you organ lessons.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55And so that's how I started.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01Sister Mary Lewis taught elementary school for most of her career
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and that desire to help others has never left her.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10When you were asked to be part of this study about the brain,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12what did you think?
0:36:12 > 0:36:16If I can do some good, I'll be glad to do it.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17And now, living 99 years...
0:36:19 > 0:36:21..I think that's something.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29The researchers continue to run tests on Sister Mary Lewis
0:36:29 > 0:36:32to gauge her mental agility.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34You can read them in any format you like.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39I'm going to ask you to spell it forwards and backwards.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41The word is world.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44W, O, R, L, D.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45And backwards.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48D, L, R, O, W.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54But the nuns don't just do regular cognitive tests.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58They have also agreed to donate their brains.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02'These have become a unique resource for scientific study.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:04So, this is it?
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Oh, my.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16You know, it's all very well talking about, what, just over 600 nuns
0:37:16 > 0:37:19having donated their brains to science,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23but when you actually come in here and see row upon row of them
0:37:23 > 0:37:25in these medical tubs,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29you really get an idea of just what a great gift
0:37:29 > 0:37:32these sisters have given to science.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Neuroscientist Professor Michael Lee
0:37:34 > 0:37:36is fascinated by the difference
0:37:36 > 0:37:38between a healthy and a diseased brain.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43So here we have brains from
0:37:43 > 0:37:47a 90-year-old nun who was normal.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50And then on this side
0:37:50 > 0:37:55we have slices of brain from an 89-year-old nun
0:37:55 > 0:37:57who passed away with Alzheimer's.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01And you can immediately see the difference between the two.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03You don't really need to be a scientist, do you?
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Well, a nice healthy brain there
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and this one, much smaller and riddled with holes.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13The brain that had Alzheimer's disease weighed 800g, approximately,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17and the normal brain weighed almost 1,200g,
0:38:17 > 0:38:23indicating that the Alzheimer's brain has 400g less mass
0:38:23 > 0:38:25than the normal brain.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27So something was lost.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Alzheimer's is caused by the build-up
0:38:29 > 0:38:32of sticky protein masses in the brain.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37These clumps prevent nerve cells from communicating with each other
0:38:37 > 0:38:39and so the cells die.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42This causes the overall brain to shrink rapidly.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48It's almost like having your pipes in your house
0:38:48 > 0:38:51being clogged with a very large hairball.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53And so what it does is it blocks
0:38:53 > 0:38:58the communication between the nerve cells
0:38:58 > 0:39:02and then, eventually, the nerve cell will die
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and lead to this shrinkage of the brain that you see.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11I have to say that when you see the two brains like this,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13it really does put it into perspective.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19The donation of these brains has allowed scientists to explore
0:39:19 > 0:39:22why certain nuns developed dementia and others didn't.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30A crucial clue has come from precious documents
0:39:30 > 0:39:32relating to their early lives.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35These documents highlight how education
0:39:35 > 0:39:39and early life experience can actually protect against dementia.
0:39:40 > 0:39:45Psychiatrist Dr Laura Hemmy is a director of the nun study.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47We have samples of their writing.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50We also know quite a bit about their families.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52We have all of their academic records.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Each nun wrote a short biographical piece
0:39:56 > 0:39:58when they first joined the order.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Sister Helen wrote simply and sparsely.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09"There are ten children in the family.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13"Six are boys and four are girls.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16"Two of the boys are dead."
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Compare this with the more sophisticated thoughts
0:40:19 > 0:40:21of Sister Emma.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25"When I was in the fourth grade, death visited our family,
0:40:25 > 0:40:30"taking one to whom I was very particularly attached.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34"My little brother, Carl, who was but a year and a half old."
0:40:40 > 0:40:44The nuns who produced the most elaborate writings were three times
0:40:44 > 0:40:46less likely to develop dementia
0:40:46 > 0:40:50than those who expressed themselves more simply.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Well, those two cases are a good reflection
0:40:54 > 0:40:57of the outcome of the study.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00So, this first one was much more cognitively intact.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06This one, this is a Sister who was demented close to the end of life.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14On average, those Sisters who had greater idea density
0:41:14 > 0:41:17or a greater grammatical complexity in their writing
0:41:17 > 0:41:21seemed to have less likelihood of developing dementia.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Michael believes this protection against dementia in some
0:41:28 > 0:41:32of the nuns was due to the high level of education
0:41:32 > 0:41:35and enriched early life experiences.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39More specifically to the nun study is this idea of brain
0:41:39 > 0:41:42reserve or brain resiliency.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47The early life experience may have somehow afforded the brains
0:41:47 > 0:41:52of these individuals with some natural protective,
0:41:52 > 0:41:53I guess, ability.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59This concept of brain reserve means we should always try to
0:41:59 > 0:42:02mentally challenge our children, encouraging them
0:42:02 > 0:42:04to stick at school and read more.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08But what if we are older?
0:42:08 > 0:42:12It seems it's never too late to gain from educating ourselves.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19Many studies suggest that continual exercising of the mind
0:42:19 > 0:42:24and keeping your brain healthy will be beneficial for the brain,
0:42:24 > 0:42:29not only promoting the normal healthy ageing
0:42:29 > 0:42:34but also protecting you from a variety of diseases of the brain.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Before I leave America, I'm visiting the Wright-Patterson
0:42:45 > 0:42:47air base in Ohio,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50where I've heard about a futuristic scientific study.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56Scientists here are using a radical new technique to improve
0:42:56 > 0:42:58the brainpower of the Air Force.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Now, I admit it may not seem like the obvious location
0:43:02 > 0:43:06but it is in fact here that they're developing training techniques
0:43:06 > 0:43:09which at some point in the not too distant future
0:43:09 > 0:43:13could have a seriously dramatic effect on the power
0:43:13 > 0:43:16and the function of the ageing brain.
0:43:19 > 0:43:24Using computer-generated images, these airmen are training to view
0:43:24 > 0:43:27surveillance footage from drone aircraft.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31They search for suspicious activities such as terrorism.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33They view for hours on end,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36concentrating all the time.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Scientists want to boost the airmen's memory
0:43:38 > 0:43:43and attention by putting an electric charge across their scalp.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46And it seems to be working.
0:43:46 > 0:43:47When you're getting started,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49most people can only sustain their attention span
0:43:49 > 0:43:54doing this task for a few minutes so wearing this technology
0:43:54 > 0:43:56it actually helps you increase your focus.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59I definitely feel more awake and attentive
0:43:59 > 0:44:03so that I can look at it longer and continue to do this task.
0:44:03 > 0:44:09I noticed that my memory is better and my attention span is longer.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Dr Andy McKinley is the scientist behind this brain zapping.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17So, how would you gauge the results that you're getting from this?
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Well, the folks that have been receiving the stimulation
0:44:19 > 0:44:22have been performing about twice as well as those that don't.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26- This is pretty exciting stuff, isn't it?- Oh, yeah. Very exciting.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29A doubling in brainpower is impressive.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31But what will happen if the kit is used
0:44:31 > 0:44:35on someone much older than these young airmen?
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Namely, a civilian like me?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Could it benefit an ageing brain?
0:44:41 > 0:44:44To find out, Andy will test my attention.
0:44:46 > 0:44:51Red dots move around a screen and then randomly, there's a skip.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54If I notice a jump, I have to hit the space bar.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59My first go is without the brain stimulation
0:44:59 > 0:45:01to give a baseline score.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05I'll tell you what, this is really boring because at the moment,
0:45:05 > 0:45:07it's not missing anything at all.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12I can quite understand why you need to have a long attention span
0:45:12 > 0:45:15and suddenly it will go, whoops!
0:45:15 > 0:45:16Watch closely.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21And there it is. The red dots skipped a position.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27'After 20 minutes, the test is complete. So, how did I do?'
0:45:27 > 0:45:31- Actually, surprisingly, you did perfectly.- What?
0:45:31 > 0:45:36- You didn't miss any.- Really? Do you know, I thought I had.- No.
0:45:36 > 0:45:42- I didn't miss any?- Unheard of. - Unheard of? Say it again loudly!
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Our healthy young people usually get a 75%
0:45:46 > 0:45:48or 80% at the most.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Older folks usually don't do half that well.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55I do the baseline test again
0:45:55 > 0:46:00but this time Andy has had to make it more challenging.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02I almost daren't blink.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08You did very well but not perfect
0:46:08 > 0:46:13- so you got about 75% correct this time.- Really?- Yeah.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15So, that's still very good
0:46:15 > 0:46:21- especially considering that we upped the difficulty.- OK.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25Now for the brain stimulation to try to improve that score.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30The wires attached to my scalp will supply a tiny electrical charge
0:46:30 > 0:46:33to my brain, about 1 to 2 milliamps.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35It is safe, I take it?
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Oh, yes. It is considered very safe.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39There have been no serious side effects.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43This is going to go on your head kind of like a headband.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54- Yeah? - How does the head feel?
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Yeah, like stinging nettles.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00But can it actually improve my performance?
0:47:00 > 0:47:01It all seems so bizarre!
0:47:04 > 0:47:06The test is complete.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10Let's pull up your data here.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13- So, you actually got 100% of the target.- Really?
0:47:13 > 0:47:17- So you did perfect on that. - Flipping heck!
0:47:17 > 0:47:22Even on the more difficult setting, you did perfect, so that's great.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26So, when my brain is electrically stimulated,
0:47:26 > 0:47:31my brain power has increased by a third over my baseline score.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36How does my result compare with what you would expect
0:47:36 > 0:47:37from the guys you're training?
0:47:37 > 0:47:42You're still above what I would expect for our normal military folk.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Should I be applying for a job with the United States Air Force?
0:47:45 > 0:47:47I think so, yeah!
0:47:48 > 0:47:51So, what exactly is going on?
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Connections between brain cells seem to be strengthened
0:47:54 > 0:47:57by the small electrical current.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59When these connections are enhanced,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02memory and attention span is improved.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08So, we're changing the activity in the brain in a way that
0:48:08 > 0:48:11improves attention so when we stimulate
0:48:11 > 0:48:15an attention centre, we're improving their ability
0:48:15 > 0:48:18to maintain attention over these long periods of time.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Give me an analogy of how that would actually be translated
0:48:21 > 0:48:23in people's ordinary lives,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26not just what you're doing here in the laboratory.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29So, if you think about some of the skills that require
0:48:29 > 0:48:32a lot of practice like driving a manual transmission car
0:48:32 > 0:48:35or playing the piano, something that requires a lot of repetition,
0:48:35 > 0:48:37that you can't really tell somebody how to do it,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39they just have to practise.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42We can accelerate that process with the brain stimulation.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46Now that the whole thing is finished,
0:48:46 > 0:48:50I really do feel as if I've had a major shot of caffeine
0:48:50 > 0:48:54because I feel very alive and very alert.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56But it does of course beg the question,
0:48:56 > 0:49:01then, how could you apply this outside of the military?
0:49:01 > 0:49:08Could brain stimulation really have an impact on an ageing brain,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13to the point where it not only maximises the brain's ability
0:49:13 > 0:49:15but also extends its life?
0:49:17 > 0:49:20It's still early days but researchers are looking
0:49:20 > 0:49:23at applying similar techniques on older people.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27They hope brain stimulation will help many others enjoy
0:49:27 > 0:49:30better memory and attention levels.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43The final destination on our search around the world
0:49:43 > 0:49:48takes me to California, home to a cutting-edge project
0:49:48 > 0:49:52that hopes to slow down Alzheimer's disease.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55It's also some of the most surprising science
0:49:55 > 0:49:56I've ever heard about.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05This is what I would call a typically Californian idea.
0:50:05 > 0:50:10So, it's new age, it's blue skies, it's wildly optimistic.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14It sounds like the kind of thing that a second rate sci-fi
0:50:14 > 0:50:17B-movie scriptwriter would have come up with on a bad day.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18But apart from that,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21I'm totally open-minded about what we're going to see.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Scientists at Stanford University
0:50:26 > 0:50:30are carrying out a truly remarkable set of experiments.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36They want to find out if injections of young people's blood
0:50:36 > 0:50:39could counteract the effects of dementia in the elderly.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44'Professor Tony Wyss-Coray is one of the lead scientists.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48'The initial work has been done on mice.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54'Different aged mice represent humans at various ages.'
0:50:55 > 0:51:00Most of the organs in a mouse age just like humans.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04This mouse is an equivalent of about 70 years in human years.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07It's 21 months old.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12This one, the young mouse, is about a 20-year-old person.
0:51:12 > 0:51:19So what we try is to have mice that represent a young adult
0:51:19 > 0:51:23and then an old person who is maybe at risk of developing
0:51:23 > 0:51:25dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
0:51:28 > 0:51:33Older mice were given an infusion of blood plasma from younger mice
0:51:33 > 0:51:37to see if it had any effect on the old mouse brains.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45So, first we wanted to see, do their brains look
0:51:45 > 0:51:48more like younger brains?
0:51:48 > 0:51:52That was really the most amazing finding.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Tony and his team discovered that the injection of young blood
0:51:56 > 0:51:59into an old mouse rejuvenated it.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04These are brain cells of the old mouse beforehand.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07After an infusion of young blood,
0:52:07 > 0:52:09the new brain cells tripled in number.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11They had younger brains.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17To see then that just young blood would actually
0:52:17 > 0:52:20have an effect on an old brain was just crazy.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25But what difference would these brain changes make
0:52:25 > 0:52:28to the memory of the old mice?
0:52:30 > 0:52:32On an experimental table full of holes,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35an untreated old mouse had been trained to discover
0:52:35 > 0:52:39the only true escape route and ignore all the false holes.
0:52:42 > 0:52:43He is then tested again to see
0:52:43 > 0:52:46if he can remember where the escape hole was.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52This old mouse is about the equivalent to a 65-year-old human.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56You can easily see that it has essentially no clue
0:52:56 > 0:52:58- where that hole is.- Right.
0:52:59 > 0:53:04After nearly a minute, he is still struggling to find the escape route.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08But if we give an old mouse, a sibling of this mouse,
0:53:08 > 0:53:13plasma from a young mouse, you see a striking difference.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16- Look, he's going for it. - He's going for it.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22- That is so striking, isn't it? - Yeah, it's pretty amazing.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27The old mouse with young blood took only 24 seconds
0:53:27 > 0:53:30instead of a minute to find his escape route.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33There's been an extraordinary improvement in his memory.
0:53:33 > 0:53:39- That video makes it clear, doesn't it?- It's very impressive, yeah.
0:53:39 > 0:53:40This has therapeutic potential.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Because the experiments on the mice were so successful,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48- a human trial using young blood has just got the go-ahead.- Very good.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Take this finger, touch your nose.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55Dr Sharon Sha is the neurologist in charge of the patients.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Her job is to carry out regular mental tests
0:53:57 > 0:54:00on the 18 volunteers taking part.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03All of whom have symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10Half of the volunteers are receiving blood plasma from young people.
0:54:10 > 0:54:11You are strong.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Sharon is hoping that just like with the mice, the plasma will
0:54:16 > 0:54:20improve their memory and slow down the progression of the disease.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25Very good. Touch it. Can you touch it again? Touch over here.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Is this going to work or is it sort of Frankenstein science?
0:54:28 > 0:54:31We hear about Frankenstein science, we hear about vampires
0:54:31 > 0:54:35and there's some truth to that. It's kind of exciting.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36I look at my children.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40I have two kids, four and one years old, and they heal so quickly.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44Is there something in them that makes them heal faster?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47Is there something in older people
0:54:47 > 0:54:50and people with Alzheimer's disease that slows down the healing process?
0:54:50 > 0:54:54It might not be that this is the only thing that is required
0:54:54 > 0:54:55to help people.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58Is it the Fountain of Youth? It might be.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00But I think it would be a huge boon
0:55:00 > 0:55:04for understanding that degenerative disease is a little bit different
0:55:04 > 0:55:07than the way we used to think about it.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09The final results of the experimental trial
0:55:09 > 0:55:12will not be known for some time but if successful,
0:55:12 > 0:55:16it could transform the future treatment of Alzheimer's.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22For now, there are many changes that we can all do to help
0:55:22 > 0:55:24slow down ageing.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29As this series has shown, so much of how our bodies
0:55:29 > 0:55:33and minds age is largely dependent on our lifestyle choices.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Diet is important.
0:55:36 > 0:55:41Eating less meat and more fruit and veg could add years to our lives.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45As can finding ways to counteract stress.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50Keeping our minds challenged with something new is a good way
0:55:50 > 0:55:52to keep them in peak condition.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55And exercise plays a key role,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59especially if it engages you mentally, physically and socially.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08There are still so many things that we personally can do to take
0:56:08 > 0:56:10control of ourselves in the way that you are, for instance,
0:56:10 > 0:56:15learning the guitar and French, and how's that going, by the way?
0:56:15 > 0:56:19Some days are better than others! Let's move on.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23But the good news is that we have discovered through these programmes
0:56:23 > 0:56:26that one of the best things you can do as an overall exercise
0:56:26 > 0:56:29for body and brain is to dance.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35It's great for your balance, it's a great aerobic exercise,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38it's wonderful for spatial awareness, it's very social
0:56:38 > 0:56:42and it uses the brain - remembering the steps,
0:56:42 > 0:56:44listening to the music, so it ticks all the boxes.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47So, Chris, if you want to live a long and healthy life,
0:56:47 > 0:56:52in mind and body, you're going to have to start dancing.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55Well, maybe tomorrow. Dancing isn't really for me.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Right now. No, no, right now.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01- These shoes. - Nothing to do with the shoes.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04- That's it. There we go. - I knew you'd pull a caper like this!
0:57:06 > 0:57:07- OK.- Right.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Back with your left foot, take your right foot across,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12- bring your left foot in. - Look at that!- Look at that!
0:57:12 > 0:57:17Right foot backwards towards me. Left across, bring the other one in.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Left foot back, right across, bring the left foot in,
0:57:20 > 0:57:22right foot forwards...