How Dehydration Affects the Brain and Dementia
Most health-conscious individuals are aware that staying well hydrated is important for the body’s health. But did you know that hydration is also critical to brain function? Research has shown that dehydration has a number of negative neurological and psychological effects. Our brain is 75% water, so even a 2% decrease can have a negative effect on the brain’s functioning. No wonder it works better when you’re properly hydrated! Below is noteworthy information:
1. Dehydration affects your mood. A number of studies have identified a link between dehydration and mood disturbances. In a 2012 study, researchers at the University of Connecticut induced dehydration in healthy young women through either exercise or exercise plus a diuretic and assessed its effects on mood state. Dehydration was found to result in a measurable increase in “total mood disturbance.”
2. Dehydration affects cognitive and motor skills. We all know not to drive under the influence of alcohol. However, according to the findings of a 2015 study conducted at Loughborough University, we should also avoid driving when dehydrated. Volunteers committed a significantly greater number of errors, such as lane drifting and late braking, in a two-hour driving simulation when they were dehydrated. In fact, their performance was just as poor as that of people who complete similar tests while at the legal limit for blood alcohol content. The likely reason is that dehydration reduces concentration and reaction time.
3. Dehydration affects your pain. One of the more surprising mental effects of dehydration is increased pain sensitivity. This was demonstrated in a 2014 study by Japanese researchers. Volunteers immersed an arm in cold water to test their pain sensitivity while having their brains scanned. They reported a lower pain threshold (i.e., they felt pain sooner) when they performed this test in a dehydrated state. These subjective reports were accompanied by increased activity in brain areas involved in the experience of pain.
4. Dehydration affects your memory. Dehydration has also been found to negatively impact memory. In 2010, researchers at Ohio University measured hydration status in a group of 21 older women and asked the women to complete tests of declarative memory (ability to work the remote) and working memory (remembering information for a few minutes). A strong link between hydration status and memory skills was found, with the most dehydrated subjects performing most poorly on the tests. This effect was partly mediated by blood pressure.
5. Older adults are at risk to be chronically hydrated. This can lead to serious health problems, including urinary tract infections (UTI), falls, kidney stones, and more. Adults age 65 and older have the highest hospital admission rates for dehydration.
Persons living with a dementia may not remember to drink water. Offering your loved one water, juice, or even milk (new research shows milk is better than water!) throughout the day and “toasting” to happy events can be effective. Just like repeating bad news to some who is unable to remember, such learning of death over and over, is upsetting because it is as it is as if they hear it for the first time. Good news works the same. “Toasting” to a new granddaughter or to the excitement of a grandson hitting a homerun, can be shared over and over if those memories do not store, and happy conversations can be enjoyed. This also is a great way to head off dehydration!
If you would like more information on our Memory Ministry, Memory Café, or trainings, please contact Vicky Pitner at vpitner@firstumc.org.