Juggling Enhances Cognitive Functioning

Cognitive-impairing diseases are amongst the most debilitating types that can affect an individual. Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are considered to be the leading cause of debilitation in the geriatric population, with numbers continuing to rise on a global basis year after year.

Various research has been conducted on cognitive function over the years, and what most of the studies agree upon is that individuals who maintain high levels of cognitive functionality over the course of their lifetime have a distinctly lower chance of developing cognitive deficiency in their later years. The easiest analogy is to compare the mind to the body. A consistent exercise regime has long been known to aid in avoiding movement impairment in later years, as well as to substantially decrease the risk of a host of illnesses and disease, such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease and even certain forms of cancer. By continually maintaining one’s body in peak physical condition, a much higher quality of life can be realized. The mind operates in much the same fashion. If one continually maintains his or her cognitive functions at peak conditions, the mind will continue to work at a higher capacity for a much longer period of time.

Some of the mental activities that have been suggested over the years include games such as chess, word puzzles, learning new languages, and other types of activities that require use of cognitive abilities. Recent research published by the University of Oxford shows that juggling is another way to help boost cognitive functioning, largely due to the type of hand-eye coordination required, thereby stimulating the brain’s activity and accelerating the growth of new neural connections.

The research examined 24 individuals practicing 30 minutes each day for six weeks. Using a variety of tensor imaging scans, the jugglers were scanned both before and after the training period. In addition, a control group of 24 individuals who did not learn to juggle were scanned. After six weeks, the brains of those who did not juggle showed no change, while the scans of the jugglers showed new brain matter in areas of the brain directly related to vision and movement. Most interesting was the fact that how well they juggled was not a contributory factor in the growth of the brain matter, rather, it was the simple act of juggling that stimulated the neural growth.

The University of Oxford research team scanned the brains of the jugglers for an additional four weeks after the conclusion of the study and discovered that the newly developed white matter remained, and surprisingly, gray matter actually increased, which suggests that the brain's structure retains the benefits of active learning, as well as providing proof that white matter is a significant factor in neurodevelopment. This study was published in a book by Frank R. Wilson titled, “The Hand: How Its Use Shapes the Brain, Language, and Human Culture.” According to Dr. Wilson the type of learning does not matter. It might be juggling, model building, or learning how to plan a garden. In his words, “the desire to learn is reshaped continuously as brain and hand visualize one another.” The lesson: we must all continually find opportunities to step out of our comfort zones and continually push ourselves towards new cognitive challenges.

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