Here’s another reason to avoid salt besides its connection to hypertension. Scientists who conducted a mouse study have concluded that salt is linked to impaired cognition. The study was published in Nature Neuroscience. The researchers discovered that changes in the gut caused by a high-salt diet are linked to impaired blood flow to the brain.… Continue reading Salt and Impaired Cognition
Tag: brain
Why We Can’t Always Stop What We’ve Started
When we try to make a last-minute decision to stop a body movement, perhaps to keep ourselves from stepping on what we just realized was ice, we can’t always do it — and Johns Hopkins University neuroscientists have figured out why. The researchers found that stopping a planned behavior requires extremely fast choreography between several… Continue reading Why We Can’t Always Stop What We’ve Started
The Aged Brain and Dementia
Researchers working with aged human brains have discovered details that will help experts better understand the biological bases for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The analysis, from the Allen Institute for Brain Science, University of Washington Medicine and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, was published in the journal eLife. The investigation also highlights surprising variability… Continue reading The Aged Brain and Dementia
Selfish? Generous? The Brain’s Signals Give Clue
Researchers analyzing the brains of women and men found that they respond differently to pro-social and antisocial behavior, depending on the circumstances. The striatum, located in the middle of the brain, is responsible for the assessment of reward and is active whenever a decision is made. The findings, from the study by researchers at the… Continue reading Selfish? Generous? The Brain’s Signals Give Clue
Stress, Your Brain – and The Risk of Heart Disease
The brain may have a distinctive activity pattern during stressful events that predicts bodily reactions, such as rises in blood pressure that increase risk for cardiovascular disease, according to new proof-of-concept research in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The new research, the… Continue reading Stress, Your Brain – and The Risk of Heart Disease
Rare Hormone May Eventually Be A Life Extender for Humans
Klotho, a life-extending protein hormone, occurs in only a minority of people. But eventually, scientists may be able to administer it to others. Scientists at UC San Francisco found that giving klotho to young, aging or impaired mice rapidly improves their cognitive and physical performance. While previous studies had revealed associations between elevated klotho levels… Continue reading Rare Hormone May Eventually Be A Life Extender for Humans
Aging Could be Affected by Just Smelling Food
According to new research, the goal of reasonable eating that extends lifespan may have as much to do with what’s “eating” you as what you yourself are eating. In a study published in PLOS One, neuroscientists from Florida Atlantic University show that smelling food in addition to consuming calories could influence the aging process. And, what’s “eating”… Continue reading Aging Could be Affected by Just Smelling Food
“Wise Elders” and What They Can Teach Us
Why do “wise elders” sidestep the cognitive decline associated with aging? New research may have the answer. An international team of researchers recorded and analyzed brain activity of 100 healthy older Portuguese adults with different levels of cognitive abilities and found distinct patterns of brain activity associated with better cognitive performance, according to a study… Continue reading “Wise Elders” and What They Can Teach Us
Learning with Music Can Change Brain Structure
Using musical cues to learn a physical task significantly develops an important part of the brain, according to a study published in July 2017 in the journal Brain & Cognition. The interdisciplinary project brought together researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Music in Human and Social Development, Clinical Research Imaging Centre, and Centre… Continue reading Learning with Music Can Change Brain Structure
Drinking Beetroot Juice Can Benefit Your Brain
Drinking a beetroot juice supplement before working out makes the brain of an older adult perform more efficiently, mirroring the operations of a younger brain, according to a new study by scientists at Wake Forest University. “We knew, going in, that a number of studies had shown that exercise has positive effects on the brain,”… Continue reading Drinking Beetroot Juice Can Benefit Your Brain
“Super Ager” Brains Maintain High Volume in The Cortex
So-called normal agers lost volume in their cortex twice as fast as SuperAgers, a rare group of people aged 80 and above whose memories are as sharp as those of healthy persons decades younger, according to a new study. “Increasing age is often accompanied by ‘typical’ cognitive decline or, in some cases, more severe cognitive… Continue reading “Super Ager” Brains Maintain High Volume in The Cortex
The Aging Brain
The brain changes as we get older, but not everyone’s brain changes the same way. The experts from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) explain how our brain functions and what we might expect as we get older: The brain controls many aspects of thinking—remembering, planning and organizing, making decisions, and much more. These cognitive… Continue reading The Aging Brain
Caffeine and The Anti-Dementia Enzyme
Researchers have discovered that caffeine may have the potential to protect against dementia. The finding comes from Indiana University experts and was published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study identified 24 compounds, including caffeine, with the potential to boost an enzyme in the brain shown to protect against dementia. The protective effect of the… Continue reading Caffeine and The Anti-Dementia Enzyme
Brain Training Can Help Post-Chemo Nerve Pain
The brain training technique known as neurofeedback shows promise in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced nerve damage, or neuropathy, in cancer survivors, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The pilot study, published in the journal Cancer, is the largest, to date, to determine the benefits of neurofeedback… Continue reading Brain Training Can Help Post-Chemo Nerve Pain
Why Glucose Level in Brain Signals Alzheimer’s
One of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease is a decline in glucose levels in the brain. It appears in the early stages of mild cognitive impairment – before symptoms of memory problems begin to surface. Whether it is a cause or consequence of neurological dysfunction has been unclear, but new research at the Lewis… Continue reading Why Glucose Level in Brain Signals Alzheimer’s
Brain Activity Linked to Falls in Older Adults
Brain activity can help predict a healthy older adult’s risk of falling, according to researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older Americans and all too often lead to physical decline and loss of independence. The findings were published in Neurology, the medical… Continue reading Brain Activity Linked to Falls in Older Adults
Reconditioning the Brain to Overcome Fear
Fear-related disorders affect around one in 14 people and place considerable pressure on mental health services. Currently, a common approach is for patients to undergo some form of aversion therapy, in which they confront their fear by being exposed to it in the hope they will learn that the thing they fear isn’t harmful after… Continue reading Reconditioning the Brain to Overcome Fear
Pain and Your Brain
Scientists at The University of Manchester, UK, have shown for the first time that if the brain is ‘tuned-in’ to a particular frequency, pain can be alleviated. Chronic pain- pain which lasts for more than six months – is a real problem for many people, with 20-50 % of the general population estimated to suffer… Continue reading Pain and Your Brain