Archive for June, 2009
The Environmental Impact of Healthy Aging
Last October, the Today show ran a segment on a powerful report exploring the role that our environment plays in how well we age… and especially in the risks of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The idea is one you’ll find repeated often both here: how well we age isn’t just a matter of “good genes” or inherited risk factors, but something that is largely in our own control.
Add comment June 30, 2009
Aerobics for Neurons… Neurobics!
Neurobics.is one of those brilliantly funny words that practically giggles off the tongue, but there’s a serious meaning behind it. Coined by neurobiologist Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin, it’s a pop-neurology term that refers to stimulating exercises for the brain, exercises that (at least in theory) encourage neural growth and help keep the brain sharp and functional. (more…)
2 comments June 25, 2009
The Need For Sleep & Its Impact On Emotional Memory
Remember that old cliche about how you should “Never go to bed angry?” 
At the recent SLEEP 2009 conference (the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies) a research abstract was presented with an interesting conclusion: sleeping shortly after a learning experience
The details of the study are complicated to explain, but the bottom line seems to be that sleeping soon after being exposed to emotionally negative imagery somehow helps the brain to remember the information better than those who waited a full day to sleep. Oddly, those who waited to sleep seemed to remember the context of the information better – but didn’t do so well with the main information,
Add comment June 23, 2009
10 Brain-Friendly Hobbies for Successful Aging (part 2)
Earlier this week, we took a look at how our interests and hobbies can challenge and improve brain function – and took a brief tour of five potentially brain building pastimes. If you missed it, be sure and check it out here: 10 Brain-Friendly Hobbies for Successful Aging (part 1)
Today, we’re checking out five more hobbies that can be good for the brain. This brief list certainly doesn’t exhaust the brain-challenging hobbies out there, and it’s not intended to do so. The idea here is to learn to look at potential activities from a brain fitness point of view, and be sure that we’re getting the biggest brain benefit from our interests as we can. So with that in mind, on with the list!
Photography: Did you know that taking photographs throughout your day, and looking over them later that night, can help you remember it better?
Add comment June 18, 2009
10 Brain-Friendly Hobbies for Successful Aging (part 1)
Keeping the mind stimulated and active is key to maintaining cognitive function as we age. Brain training products and programs are a big help towards that end, but they’re only part of the cognitive-activity picture. The other part? An intellectually active lifestyle, including varied interests and hobbies that keep us learning and using our brains throughout our life. (more…)
2 comments June 16, 2009
New Study Reveals 4 Elements That Keep Older Adults Minds Sharp
The evidence just keeps piling up: our lifestyle choices have a large impact on how well our brains age.
A just-published study funded by the National Institutes of Health followed 2,500 people in their 70s for 8years, and frequently tested their cognitive functions. Over the course of the study, 53% of the participants showed the expected age-related declines, and 16% developed major cognitive difficulties.
But the remaining 30% either had no change in their mental functions, or they actually improved during the study.
Add comment June 11, 2009
10 Quick & Easy Ways To DeStress Your Brain
Ongoing stress is bad for your brain, your overall health, and your quality of life. And sometimes, there’s just no way to avoid it… So how do you cope minimize it’s effects?
Add comment June 9, 2009
Seniors, Sleep & Synapses
Getting enough sleep is crucial for brain health, and scientists still aren’t exactly sure why. What we do know is that sleep deprivation hurts our cognitive abilities, affecting our working memory, executive functions, attention, ability to reason, balance, and even our moods. Go without sleep for too long, and things deteriorate rapidly, causing mood swings, psychosis, hallucinations, and eventually, death.
The difficulty, of course, is that the older we get, the lower our quality of sleep often becomes. Many seniors are kept awake by aches and pains, anxieties, and a need for frequent urination. Some medications cause insomnia, and sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, even some heart problems can contribute to the problem. (more…)
Add comment June 5, 2009
Enter to win a Dakim BrainFitness System
This is an unprecedented chance to win your father the gift of a lifetime. Literally.
Dads can live without a tie, a power tool or even a vacation. But they can’t live life to the fullest without an active and vibrant MIND. And that’s exactly what the Dakim BrainFitness System is all about. This Father’s Day, with the help of Marbles and Dakim BrainFitness, one caring son or daughter will win this state-of-the-art system for his or her Dad.
Just by telling Marbles and Dakim what makes your Dad special in 200 words or less, you might win the world’s most advanced brain fitness system for your Dad. Maybe it’s the way he can always make you laugh. The fact that he uncannily knows the answer to Final Jeopardy. Or the way he was always there to pick you up when you fell down. Literally and figuratively.
Dakim BrainFitness is the only brain fitness system with brain games specifically designed to be engaging and exciting to people who remember life before television! This makes daily brain “workouts” not only stimulating, but incredibly fun.
Enter the contest by clicking here. Enter by June 19, 2009.
June 3, 2009
Depression: A Brain Shrinker?
A growing number of studies reveal that positive attitudes, exercise and staying socially active seem to help protect the brain against dementia and cognitive loss. There are many reasons (both known and suspected) these strategies seem to work,, but a common thread between them? They all reduce the risks and severity depression. .
Why Is That Important?
Because depression may literally shrink the brain – or at least part of it.
A sea-horse shaped element deep inside the brain, the hippocampus is crucial in forming new memories, and is part of the system that regulates emotion. And multiple studies have shown that the hippocampus is an average of 10-15% smaller in people diagnosed with major depression. Further, the longer a patient is depressed, the smaller the hippocampus is, suggesting the effect is cumulative. (more…)
2 comments June 2, 2009
