Fighting fit: How table tennis helps elderly live well with dementia

The ping pong craze has swept through care homes across the country since the ‘Over-80s’ featured in the World Table Tennis Championships in 2010.

With one in six people aged 80 and over living with dementia and 80 per cent of those in care homes living with a form of the condition, health and well-being charity Bounce Alzheimer’s Therapy (BAT), delivers a specialised table tennis Alzheimer’s therapy programme to care homes throughout the UK.

Andrew Battley, BAT’s research and training director, has recognised that delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s by five years could save up to 30,000 lives a year in the UK. He said: “Whilst Alzheimer's is not an age related disease, as an ageing nation there are more and more older people being diagnosed.

“In those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, the hippocampus is shown to be smaller, but activity such as table tennis has been shown to help with blood flow to the brain and stimulate that part of it.

“The idea is that if the hippocampus is stimulated and therefore bigger, and not left to waste away, it can support the brain to hold back symptoms of Alzheimer’s for longer.”

Table tennis is a fast moving, competitive and social activity which involves physical exercise, sustained attention and the development of visuospatial skills. It is becoming increasingly more accessible for those living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Wendy Suzuki, professor of neuroscience and psychology at New York University, believes table tennis is a medium through which people can connect; an entertaining tool that empowers older people to take control.

She said: “Table tennis stimulates overall awareness and enhances player’s motor skills to effectively improve the function of the brain.

“As an aerobic exercise, people playing with early stage Alzheimer’s can experience functional improvements in the frontal lobes of the brain which regulate decision making, problem solving, and movement.”

Drug free Alzheimer's therapy

Whilst memory loss is a common early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, individuals can go on to develop problems with thinking, reasoning and perception. They might also have difficulties with visual perception, concentration and orientation.

Evidence suggests leading an active lifestyle that combines regular physical and mental activity, as well as social engagement can help lower the associated risks of the disease.

The benefits of physical activity are likely to be mediated by changes in brain structure and function. It's been shown to improve cognitive function, and more recently, to increase hippocampus volume; a region of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease and memory.

According to Mr Battley, table tennis has numerous, targeted and beneficial physical effects for those living with dementia, including: increased cerebral blood flow, better co-ordination and improved balance, which ultimately builds self-confidence and reduces falls.

He commented: “Playing table tennis can have many benefits from hand-eye coordination, dexterity, fine motor skills, to upper body strength and balance, and it is a social activity which is key for well-being and happiness.

“Table tennis is a drug free option and unlike many activities can truly be played by anyone of any age and can even be played sitting down.”

A recent study conducted by the BBC called ‘How to Live Young,’ conducted a study to compare the benefits of walking against table tennis.

Two groups of over 60s were evenly split into a walking and table tennis group. They carried out their activity for one-hour, twice-a-week.

Empowering body and mind

After ten weeks, researchers found both activities improved cognitive performance, but the brain functions in the walking group improved significantly more. They were found to have more neurons in their hippocampus, which boosted memory and their ability to learn.

However, the table tennis group were found to have an increase in cortical thickness - part of the brain which deals with complex thinking, which shrinks with ageing. They also reported fewer negative emotions compared to the walkers, seeing a mood lift due to the combination of regular exercise with socialising.

With studies linking table tennis as a potentially effective therapeutic treatment for the symptoms of dementia, BAT is currently developing a table tennis table specifically designed to deliver a more effective experience for those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Various elements have been factored into the design that are intended to proactively compensate for ‘contrast, perspective and colour’ deprivation that is symptomatic in those afflicted by the disease.

Professor June Andrews, previous director of the dementia services development centre at the University of Stirling, said: “Contrast is the key to vision. Without contrast, objects cannot be seen and differentiated.

“As we age we lose the ability to separate colours clearly, our perception of depth diminishes, we have less spatial awareness and our sensitivity to contrast lowers. Without good contrasts we struggle more and function with less confidence.”

Research and development

In partnership with King's College London, BAT is also continuing to conduct medical research to investigate the potential benefits playing table tennis could have on reversing and even preventing the development of the disease.

BAT delivers the specialised table tennis Alzheimer's therapy programme to UK care settings and provide access to tailored equipment, expert training and free resources.

For more information on BAT visit: http://www.batfoundation.com/projects/