Recalling past boosts memory

London: Recalling past experiences is good for pensioners' mental powers, scientists have found.

Those who got together in groups to talk about their war years, or other old experiences and adventures, saw significant improvements in memory.

Researchers found just six half-hour chats boosted recall by an average 12 per cent - more than would be expected with any pills.

Importantly, care home residents with dementia, including some in the late stages, gained an 8 per cent boost in their ability to remember.

It is thought that swapping stories about the past in a group makes use of parts of the brain that might otherwise lie dormant.

But the researchers from Exeter University found reminiscing one-on-one with a carer was not beneficial, meaning that the sense of togetherness fostered by teamwork was vital.

Professor of social psychology Alex Haslam said the results were remarkable, adding: "I don't think any drug would deliver anything close to that.

"If you had a drug that could do that, you could make a lot of money.

"The point is that the drug is the group. I think our sense of worth comes from the approbation of our peers - the group gives us a reason to live and a reason to engage.

"If you are just neglected in a care home and have no reason to engage with other people, you just atrophy."

The study, which was revealed yesterday at the British Science Festival at the University of Surrey, adds to growing evidence about the importance of social contact to health.

An earlier US study found that socially isolated stroke patients were nearly twice as likely to have another stroke within five years as those with good social lives.

Loneliness raised the odds of a second stroke more than accepted risk factors such as high blood pressure. In the latest study, 73 people in care homes in Cornwall and Somerset were put into three groups for six weeks.

The first took part in reminiscence sessions together, in which they were encouraged to talk about their lives, starting with their school days. Old school rulers, ink bottles, wedding dresses and other items were brought in to help jog memories and keep the conversation flowing.