Orienteering can teach the brain to deal with cognitive decline

McMaster University Campus Orienteering Map (CREDIT: Kayla Da Silva/McMaster University)

Orienteering, which relies on athleticism, navigational skills and memory, may be useful as an intervention or preventive measure to combat dementia-related cognitive decline, according to new research from McMaster University.

The researchers hypothesized that the physical and cognitive demands of orienteering, which combines exercise with navigation, may stimulate parts of the brain that our ancient ancestors used to hunt and gather. The brain evolved thousands of years ago to adapt to harsh environments by creating new neural pathways.

Those same brain functions are not as essential to survival today due to modern conveniences such as GPS apps and easily accessible food. The researchers suggest that this is a “use it or lose it” case.

“Modern life may lack the specific cognitive and physical tasks that the brain needs to thrive,” says Jennifer Hayes, Canadian research director in brain health and aging at McMaster University, who led the study. “In the absence of active navigation, we risk losing this neural architecture.”

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Hayes points to Alzheimer’s disease, in which the loss of the ability to navigate is one of the earliest symptoms, affecting half of all patients, even at the mildest stage of the disease.

In a study published today in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers interviewed healthy adults aged 18 to 87 with varying degrees of orienteering experience (none, intermediate, advanced, and elite).

Orienteering athletes report improvements in spatial navigation and memory, suggesting that adding orienteering elements to regular training may be beneficial throughout life.

Researchers at McMaster found that orienteering participants reported improved spatial navigation and memory, suggesting the sport may be helpful in combating cognitive decline. (CREDIT: Kayla Da Silva/McMaster University)

“When it comes to brain training, the physical and cognitive demands of orienteering can give you more bang for your buck than exercise alone,” says lead author Emma Waddington, a kinesiology graduate student who developed the study. coach and member of the national orienteering team.

The goal of navigating is to navigate unfamiliar territory as quickly as possible by finding a series of waypoints using only a map and compass. The most skilled athletes must efficiently switch between multiple mental tasks, making quick decisions as they move through the terrain at a fast pace.

Jennifer Hayes and Emma Waddington Kinesiologist Jennifer Hayes (right) and graduate student Emma Waddington (left) investigated the usefulness of orienteering in combating cognitive impairment. (CREDIT: Kayla Da Silva/McMaster University)

This sport is unique in that it requires active navigation with rapid transitions between parts of the brain that process spatial information differently. For example, reading a map depends on the perspective of a third person in relation to the environment. The orienteers must quickly translate this information in relation to their own position in the environment in real time as they progress.

Researchers say it’s a skill that GPS systems have brought out of modern life. This can affect not only our ability to navigate, but also our spatial processing and memory in general, because these cognitive functions depend on overlapping neural structures.

The researchers suggest there are two easy ways to incorporate orientation into everyday life: turn off GPS and use a map to find your way while traveling, and challenge yourself — in space — using a new route to run, walk, or bike.

“Orienteering is in many ways a sport for life. You can often see participants aged 6 to 86 orienteering,” says Waddington. “My long involvement in the sport has given me an understanding of the process of learning to navigate and I have been inspired to explore the uniqueness of orienteering and the scientific implications this sport can have for an aging population,” says Waddington.

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Note: Materials courtesy of McMaster University above. Content can be edited for style and length.

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