Cognitive Leisure and Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Exploring Neural Mechanisms

Alzheimer's disease (AD), also known as senile dementia, is the most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive decline in cognitive function and behavioral impairment. It is estimated that there are approximately 9.83 million AD patients in China, with an average annual treatment cost of about $19,144 per person, accounting for 1.47% of the national gross domestic product, surpassing the global average. This not only severely affects the quality of life for elderly patients but also imposes a heavy economic and caregiving burden on families and society. Due to the limitations of AD treatment and the irreversibility of its progression, early detection and intervention have become the focus of AD prevention and control efforts. Increasingly, scholars propose shifting the diagnosis and intervention of AD to the preclinical stage, particularly the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) phase and even earlier stages characterized by subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Cognitive leisure activity, as one of the potentially modifiable factors in the preclinical stage of AD, understanding its impact on cognitive function and the neural circuitry regulation mechanisms in this stage is of significant importance. This knowledge can contribute to the development of early targeted intervention measures, preventing or delaying the onset and progression of AD, and promoting healthy aging.