Features

Enhancing fall-back power of the brain

Published

3 years ago

2023/12/8

BY Dr B. J. C. Perera
MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lon), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

It is a well-known fact that many organs of the human body have some reserve quantum to fall back on during situations where a human being is taxed above its usual calm existence. An excellent example of this is the human heart. In the resting status of the body. the heart beats at around 70 to 80 beats per minute. During strenuous exercise this rate could automatically go up to about 150 or even 200, bringing the reserve power of it into play. The cardiovascular reserve can go up to several times its usual tranquil capacity whenever called upon to provide that extra power.

The notion that the human brain too has fall-back reserve power is a thing that that may surprise many people. As most of us know, we associate the brain with the higher functions of the mind where intelligence and many other cognitive features associated with it make the Homo sapiens to be quite different and differentiate humankind from all other species of the animal kingdom. Yet for all that, with advancing age, impairment of memory is a thing that most people worry about.

By age 60, more than half of adults have concerns about their memory. However, minor memory lapses that occur with age are not usually signs of a serious problem, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but rather the result of normal changes in the structure and function of the brain. However, major and progressive memory loss is a devastating problem for the elderly. Yet for all that, we differ from each other in the way our thinking skills age. One explanation is that some people have better resilience to the effects of ageing because they have developed a better capacity or ‘reserve’ to cope with the changes in the brain that occur with age.

The intellectual power that we can fall back on is referred to as cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the mind’s and brain’s resistance to damage of the brain. One could also rather loosely equate this phenomenon to the ability of the brain to improvise and find alternate ways of getting a job done. It reflects how agile a brain is in pulling in skills and capacities to solve problems and cope with challenges. It is a phenomenon that has to be nurtured and strengthened by learning and experience right throughout a lifetime. Cognitive reserve is developed by an era of education and curiosity right throughout life.

The impression of such reserve power of the brain was first realised and then explored in the late 1980s. That concept which was labelled as cognitive reserve originated when researchers described individuals with no apparent symptoms of dementia or deterioration of the higher functions of the brain who were nonetheless found at autopsy to have brain changes consistent with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Such observations suggest that there does not appear to be a direct relationship between the degree of brain changes in any given individual and the outward signs of those changes that manifest as loss of cognitive functions.

It was then postulated that these individuals somehow did not show symptoms of the disease while they were alive because they had a large enough cognitive reserve to offset the damage and enable them to continue functioning as usual. The concept of reserve accounts for individual differences in susceptibility to age-related brain changes or Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology. There is evidence that some people can tolerate more of these changes than others and still maintain function.

This curious phenomenon led to intensive research that has shown that people with greater inherent cognitive reserve are better able to stave off or even keep at bay, the symptoms of degenerative brain changes associated with dementia or even some other brain diseases, such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, or a stroke. A more robust cognitive reserve can also help one to function better and for longer even when one is exposed to unexpected life events, such as stress, surgery, or toxins in the environment. Such circumstances demand extra effort from the brain, somewhat similar to requiring a car to engage another gear.

Research suggests that our level of intelligence, which traces back to childhood as well as our set of lifetime experiences, helps to build cognitive reserve and may account for differences in cognitive reserve between different individuals. The lifetime experiences include education, having an engaging occupation and taking part in stimulating activities; the latter ideally combining leisure activities, learning and social interactions.

The evidence that lifetime experiences help to build cognitive reserve comes from studies of large groups of people over long periods. Such studies have repeatedly found that these life experiences are associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in normal ageing and reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

In other words, higher attainment and engagement appear to protect cognitive function in ageing. Indeed, some studies have suggested that these life experiences may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 35-40%. The changes in the brain that are seen in the disease may still occur, but these people cope better and will not ever be diagnosed because they do not present with any symptoms.

The basic perception of cognitive reserve suggests that the brain actively attempts to cope with brain damage by using pre-existing cognitive processing approaches or by enlisting compensatory mechanisms. This would allow an individual with higher cognitive reserves to handle it better to enable the individual to better cope with the brain damage than another with lower cognitive reserves.

It has now been realised that cognitive reserve can be enhanced by a programme of cognitive fitness. Such an initiative would develop the ability of the brain to deal with and function normally when it is induced to call upon the reserve power, especially when disease states take their toll. The very heart and the central cog of a coordinated brain health and cognitive fitness programme involves rather simple but all too familiar lifestyle changes. The cognitive reserve hypothesis gives hope that exposure to various sorts of stimulating activities can help us age successfully. It also leads us to ask what people can do to help increase their cognitive reserve.

It is still unclear what the exact ‘recipe’ for this is. The evidence from studies of large populations suggests that it is exposure to the experiences and activities discussed above across the lifetime that contribute to the reserve, but we do not yet know what specific activities would slow the rate of cognitive decline or reduce the risk of dementia.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have identified six cornerstones to any effective brain health and cognitive fitness programme. These are as follows:-

Task 1:

Eat a plant-based diet. This is beneficial in many ways and building up cognitive reserves is just one of them. The diet needs to be a good balanced one to supply all macro and micro nutrients.

Task 2:

Exercise regularly. Like the vegetarian diet, this too has a multiplicity of positive benefits. Building up cognitive reserves is just one of them. The nature and severity of the exercise needs to be individualised. Some medical advice would certainly help in that venture.

Task 3:

Get enough sleep. It is well-known that sleep facilitates tissue repair. It is perhaps the same with the neurones and their connecting meshworks as well. A minimum of 6 hours is essential and it is quite good to have 8 hours of quality sleep.

Task 4:

Manage your stress. It has been proven that stress has deleterious effects on many systems of the human body. It is perhaps the same with the brain and the neural tissues.

Task 5:

Nurture social contacts. Good social connections may provide mental stimulation through complex interactions with others and hence build cognitive reserve and maintain healthy cognitive function. This is a very important component of the cognitive fitness initiative.

Task 6:

Continue to challenge the brain everyday. Just as much as regular exercise improves the physical functions and the physical strength of the body, mental exercises are well-known to be beneficial for the proper functioning of the brain. Research studies suggest that doing cognitive tasks that feel difficult, like problem-solving, learning something new, reading a newspaper article and discussing it with a friend, etc.., truly challenge the brain.

This multi-pronged plan includes and integrates proven approaches to committed changes being made in everyday lifestyles. It is advocated that by incorporating simple, specific changes into a daily routine, one could add years of enduring mental stamina and vitality. It is extremely important to realise that these factors are equal parts of a cohesive plan and that they do not work very well in isolation or when they are taken up just as one or two separate efforts. For example, simply eating more fibre or adding a morning walk to your routine is not enough to forestall mental decline. Instead, diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, social interaction, and mental stimulation, all work in harmony, just like in a concert, to yield the desired results.

All that we have undertaken during a lifetime of this worldly experience certainly helps in building up a mental and neurological reserve to enable us to successfully navigate through the drastic effects of age on our mental faculties. There is emerging evidence that even in older ages, commitment to the cause of enhancing that cognitive reserve would certainly help. Old age then becomes a really great pick-up or fizz time.

So, let us go for it.., everybody !!!

The author is grateful to his friend, Professor Nalaka Mendis, for rekindling the writer’s interest in Cognitive Reserve.

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Related Topics:Dr B. J. C. Perera Professor Nalaka Mendis

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‘The devil is in the details’ in West Asian peace

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Donald Trump at the current G7 summit in France. Evelyn Hockstein/Getty Image

It is obviously too early for an outpouring of joy over the seeming cessation of hostilities between the main antagonists in West Asia. While the prospect of there being a measure of calm in the region is being welcomed by considerable sections of the international community, what is ‘on the table’ currently is only a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran to give peace a chance. The hard part in the peace effort remains to be achieved.

In the Middle East of today we have one of the most complex conflicts to break out in modern international politics and the observer would be naive in the extreme to expect a facile and early closure to the tangle. Yet, for the sake of the world’s publics who have been hurting badly in the prolonged hostilities one could only hope that the US-Iran MoU that is expected to be signed by the sides on Friday would lead eventually to a substantive peace. The world’s thanks are due to Pakistan in this connection for its sustained support in the peace drive.

While the sides have agreed to a ceasing of hostilities in the most general terms and have reached accord on the facilitation of uninterrupted oil and gas supplies to the rest of the world, for instance, the ‘devil will prove to be in the details’ in an envisaged comprehensive peace settlement. It is these details that would make or break peace if the negotiations go on in earnest.

Nevertheless, the details would need to be worked out consensually in a spirit of compromise with an eye to the greater good of the world community. Realpolitik or a narrow focus on solely the national interest among the protagonists, for example, would need to give way to a measure of humanity that would encompass within it a consideration of the overall well being of the world. In other words, it is statesmanship that would crucially matter.

The next few weeks would establish whether humanists are ‘asking for far too much’ when they broach the questions at issue in these terms. Yet it is essentially self interest and national security considerations of the first importance that drove the conflict from even prior to February this year and these questions would need to be taken up and resolved to the satisfaction of the US and Iran in the main if some headway is to be made towards a durable settlement.

The nuclear issue would prove to be the proverbial Gordian Knot. From a realistic viewpoint, Iran could not be expected to be without a potential nuclear deterrent in the face of perceived nuclear threats emanating for it from the West and Israel. In the short term, Iran would need to possess this deterrent to a measure, within a mutually agreed international legal framework maybe, until wide agreement is reached on the nuclear tangle. Specifically, Iran’s immediate threat perceptions with regard to her nuclear-powered rivals would need to be defused during initial negotiations.

Ideally it is a world free of nuclear weapons that must be aimed at but since this goal cannot be achieved in the near or medium terms, unfolding negotiations would need to ensure Iran’s absolute security in a world of powers that continue to swear by the nuclear deterrent, if it is to give up the suspected latter capability.

However, it is to the degree to which the present nuclear powers divest themselves of this capability that Iran could be put at ease on this score. Accordingly, it is nothing short of a complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the world that could dissuade keenly security conscious states from developing nuclear weapons of their own with a mass destruction capability.

This is the number one dilemma the international community needs to grapple with going forward and it is to the extent to which it resolves it that a nuclear weapons free world could be envisaged. No doubt, an uphill challenge.

Compelling Israel to support the present negotiatory process constitutes another grueling challenge for the US. Currently the Iranian position essentially is that a Middle East peace is inseparable from a normalization of the security situation in Lebanon. That is, the present Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah presence in Lebanon must cease if a comprehensive peace is to be realized in West Asia.

However, Israel is showing no signs of drawing back from its attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon since the security of the Israeli state is being seen as threatened by the militant group. Co-opting Israel into the negotiatory effort therefore would turn out to be a matter of paramount concern for the US.

Moreover, elements in the rightist administration in Israel are seeing the current peace efforts as a ‘sell out’ to the enemies of Israel. They would have none of it. It is left to be seen how the US would be managing these virtual storm centres in the diplomatic process that could very well bring down the overall purported peace drive.

A recent pronouncement by US Vice President J.D. Vance points to yet another problem area in the US’ current peace overtures. He said that, ‘Regional peace and stability includes stopping the funding of terrorist organizations.’ He was obviously referring to the support extended by Iran to Hezbollah when he mentioned ‘terrorist organizations’ but he has given fresh life to the age-old conundrum of ‘Who is a terrorist?’ by these words.

To the Netanyahu government the Hezbollah and other militant organizations fighting Israel are ‘terrorists’ but from the viewpoint of the Iranian regime they are ‘freedom fighters’. This seemingly insurmountable definitional issue would not only stubbornly bedevil the peace effort but could even figure in bringing about its collapse, unless judiciously handled.

Thus, it’s the thorny details that need to be watched to keep the West Asian peace process afloat, once it gets going in earnest. There is no doubt that US President Trump would be receiving a considerable amount of support from the G7 in this historic peace undertaking and his personal appeals to the grouping currently meeting in France for continuous support are likely to elicit a positive response from it.

Likewise, Trump would need to appeal to also the BRICS countries if almost total global support is to be garnered for the peace drive in West Asia. BRICS’ solidarity with the US and the West is likely to carry considerable weight with Iran and other Eastern actors who are key to a sustained peace drive in the Middle East.

Features

Sri Lanka’s elephant paradox: Govt. counts tourism dollars while playing a dangerous numbers game: Expert

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

At a time when Sri Lanka is enjoying a resurgence in wildlife tourism, with elephants remaining the undisputed stars of the country’s national parks and one of its most marketable natural assets, elephant conservationist Supun Lahiru Prakash has sounded a stark warning: the nation is in danger of losing the very species that helps attract millions of tourism dollars while sustaining some of the island’s most important ecosystems.

Supun says repeated claims by authorities that Sri Lanka’s elephant population is increasing, despite the absence of a final survey report and amid continuing elephant deaths, risk creating a misleading narrative that could undermine conservation efforts and encourage retaliation against elephants.

According to Supun, the issue is not merely about numbers. It is about political priorities, scientific credibility and the future of one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic species.

“Repeatedly claiming that the elephant population is increasing appears to be an attempt to hide the Government’s inability to manage the rising annual elephant death rate and the complications of human-elephant conflict,” Supun said.

For decades, the Sri Lankan elephant has been a symbol of the country’s rich natural heritage. It is the centrepiece of wildlife tourism, drawing visitors from across the globe to national parks such as Yala, Udawalawe, Minneriya, Kaudulla and Wilpattu. International wildlife documentaries, tourism campaigns and social media promotions frequently place elephants at the heart of Sri Lanka’s nature tourism brand.

Yet, according to Supun, the country’s conservation policies do not reflect the value of the species.

“On one hand, the Government is enjoying increasing tourism revenue, and elephants remain one of Sri Lanka’s most important wildlife attractions. On the other hand, narratives are being promoted that could encourage retaliation against the very species that contributes significantly to the country’s tourism industry,” Supun said.

According to the First Countrywide National Survey of Elephants conducted in 2011, Sri Lanka had 5,879 elephants. However, official statistics show that 4,167 elephants died between 2012 and 2024.

Supun stressed that these figures represent only the deaths officially recorded by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

“In a context where more than 70 percent of the country’s elephant population reported in 2011 has died within 13 years, it is difficult to accept claims that the population has increased,” Supun said.

The conservationist pointed out that elephants have the longest gestation period among land mammals and that scientific studies have reported increasing interbirth intervals among female elephants together with high calf mortality.

“When such biological realities are taken into consideration, claims of a dramatic increase in elephant numbers become difficult to understand,” Supun said.

Supun believes that repeated references to increasing elephant populations risk fuelling public hostility towards elephants, particularly among farming communities already affected by crop raids and property damage.

“Such claims can create the impression that elephant populations are exploding and thereby promote retaliation against elephants as well,” Supun said.

According to Supun, Sri Lanka’s elephant crisis cannot be understood solely through population estimates. The real issue lies in the country’s failure to address human-elephant conflict through long-term, science-based solutions.

Sri Lanka continues to record among the highest levels of human-elephant conflict in the world. Every year, hundreds of elephants and dozens of people lose their lives as competition for land and resources intensifies.

Despite the scale of the crisis, Supun says authorities continue to rely on strategies that have repeatedly failed.

Lahiru Prakash

These include driving elephants into protected areas, strengthening electric fences to confine them there and allocating additional manpower to maintain fencing systems.

Supun was also critical of several proposals that emerged from district-level discussions on conflict mitigation, including the sowing of paddy and corn using Air Force drones and the planting of fruit orchards within protected areas.

“Such proposals fail to address the real ecological and social dimensions of the conflict,” Supun said.

While welcoming reports that the Government intends appointing a national-level mechanism to tackle human-elephant conflict, Supun said the challenge required intervention at the highest level of government.

“Given the gravity, complexity and geographical spread of human-elephant conflict, appointing any committee other than a Presidential Task Force is not useful,” Supun said.

He argued that a Presidential Task Force chaired by either the President or the Secretary to the President would be better positioned to overcome the bureaucratic delays and institutional fragmentation that have hindered previous efforts.

Supun also stressed the urgent need to restore and protect elephant corridors and home ranges that allow elephants to move safely across landscapes.

He cited the Koholankala elephant corridor in Hambantota as one example where removing obstacles could help reduce conflict while improving habitat connectivity.

At the same time, Supun questioned policies that permit the allocation of forest lands in areas identified by environmental assessments as crucial elephant ranges and movement corridors.

“The opening of elephant corridors and the protection of elephant home ranges must be carried out scientifically and consistently if they are to succeed,” Supun said.

Beyond tourism, Supun emphasised the ecological importance of elephants.

“Elephants are ecosystem engineers. Through their feeding habits and movements, they help maintain habitats that support numerous other species. In many ways, they create safer and healthier environments for wildlife,” Supun said.

According to Supun, protecting elephants means protecting entire ecosystems and the biodiversity upon which Sri Lanka’s wildlife tourism industry depends.

“By protecting elephants, we are also protecting the biodiversity that makes Sri Lanka one of the world’s premier wildlife tourism destinations,” Supun said.

As Sri Lanka seeks to expand tourism earnings and strengthen its reputation as a wildlife destination, Supun believes the country faces a defining choice: continue with policies that have failed to stem elephant deaths and human-elephant conflict, or embrace a science-based conservation strategy that safeguards both people and wildlife.

Without a fundamental shift in policy and political will, Supun warned, Sri Lanka risks losing not only one of its most iconic species but also the ecological and economic benefits that elephants continue to provide.

“The suffering of both farmers and elephants will only intensify unless meaningful action replaces rhetoric,” Supun said.

By Ifham Nizam

Features

Top Model of the World 2026

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Back-to-back victory for Colombia

Katherine Castaño of Colombia claimed the Top Model of the World 2026 crown, securing a historic back-to-back victory for her country. Angelica Sanchez of Puerto Rico was named first runner-up, and Eunice Deza of the Philippines finished as second runner-up.

Katherine was crowned by outgoing titleholder Natalia Garizabal Vera of Colombia.

Several special category awards, and subsidiary titles, were also presented during the Top Model of the World 2026 pageant.

These awards recognised excellence in modelling, peer support, and regional representation.

Primary Subsidiary Titles

Sri Lanka’s Netalie Withanage: Top 16 at
the grand finale

Miss Globe 2026: Valentina Tabares (Ecuador) — Awarded to the contestant who perfectly balances fashion modelling with traditional beauty queen qualities.

Queen of Europe 2026: Mia Danielle Williams (United Kingdom) — Given to the highest-ranking candidate from a European nation.

Special Awards Recognition

Audience Iconic Award: Charly (Dominican Republic) — Won via the official public online vote, granting her a fast-track direct entry into the Top 6.

Exotic Model of the World: Angel Emeka (Nigeria) — Awarded for exceptional editorial presence and strong runway performance.

Best Body Award: Thailand — Voted directly by fellow contestants at the Flow Spectrum Hotel. The highest-ranking runners-up for this category included Zambia, South Africa, Colombia, and Ghana.

Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Rico): 1st Runner-up

Final Placement

Winner: Katherine Castaño (Colombia)

1st Runner-Up: Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Rico)

2nd Runner-Up: Eunice Deza (Philippines)

Top 6 Finalists: Included contestants from the Dominican Republic, Romania, and Germany.

The pageant, known for focusing on professional modelling careers over just beauty, brought together 36 models from around the globe for two weeks of runway, photoshoots, and cultural events.

Sri Lanka’s Netalie Withanage walked among 36 of the world’s best and powered her way into the Top 16 at the grand finale.