Some loss of memory is often considered an inevitable part of aging, but new research reveals how some people appear to escape that fate. A study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators published in The Journal of Neuroscience in September 2016 examined a remarkable group of older adults whose memory performance is equivalent to that… Continue reading How “Super Aging” Older Adults Retain Youthful Memory Abilities
Tag: brain health
Mental Workouts To Strengthen Your Brain
Have you ever walked into a room and forgot what you went in there for? Perhaps you lost your train of thought mid conversation after being distracted by a noise. Maybe you forgot a name or a number or to buy milk. We’re human! We forget things. However, the more we multitask, the less we… Continue reading Mental Workouts To Strengthen Your Brain
Tooth Loss Increases Risk of Reduced Cognitive Function
Best to do everything you can to keep the choppers if you want to stay lucid as you age! The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) published an article in March 2016 titled “Tooth Loss Increases the Risk of Diminished Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” The study appeared in the OnlineFirst… Continue reading Tooth Loss Increases Risk of Reduced Cognitive Function
Common Antibiotics May Be Linked to Delirium
Antibiotics may be linked more than previously thought, to delirium, a serious disruption in brain function, as well as other brain problems. That is the finding of an article published in online in February 2016 in Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. A release from the academy explains that delirium causes… Continue reading Common Antibiotics May Be Linked to Delirium
We Are Meant to Live Long and Lucid Lives!
Humans (and certain whales) are unique among vertebrates in that we typically live long past our reproductive years, and most of us stay sharp well into old age. Now researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered the reason for this happy phenomenon. In a paper published November 30th 2015 in Proceedings of… Continue reading We Are Meant to Live Long and Lucid Lives!
Speaking More Than One Language Linked to Better Cognitive Functions after Stroke
Bilingual patients were twice as likely as those who spoke one language to have normal cognitive functions after a stroke, according to a study reported in the American Heart Association journalStroke in November 2015. Previous research found bilingualism may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. A release from the association quotes Subhash Kaul, D.M., senior… Continue reading Speaking More Than One Language Linked to Better Cognitive Functions after Stroke
Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Had a Constant Headache for Two Weeks and Her Pupils Are Not the Same Size, Fourth Week
Editor’s note: Welcome to our ThirdAge feature that gives you a chance to play medical sleuth as we share the details of what happened when a patient presented with a problem that stumped the physician at first. The first week of this riddle, the patient reported her symptoms to her PCP. The doctor proceeded with… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Had a Constant Headache for Two Weeks and Her Pupils Are Not the Same Size, Fourth Week
Can Cardio Fitness Keep Your Brain Young?
You probably already know that regular exercise can help keep your heart and lungs healthy as you age. But what about your brain? Does your “cardiorespiratory” fitness level have anything to do with staying mentally sharp? Yes, according to the latest research from the world-renowned Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University… Continue reading Can Cardio Fitness Keep Your Brain Young?
How to Keep Your Brain Young: 3 Scientifically Proven Brain Health Tips
More than 90% of respondents in a recent survey by the AARP reported that they think maintaining brain health is either very or extremely important, yet few people have a firm grasp on what brain health tips they should use to do that. For instance, physical activity has been shown to help keep your brain… Continue reading How to Keep Your Brain Young: 3 Scientifically Proven Brain Health Tips
Popular Electric Brain Stim Actually Lowers IQ
Using a weak electric current in an attempt to boost brainpower or treat conditions has become popular among scientists and do-it-yourselfers, but a University of North Carolina School of Medicine study shows that using the most common form of electric brain stimulation had a statistically significant detrimental effect on IQ scores. Published in the journal… Continue reading Popular Electric Brain Stim Actually Lowers IQ
Sex as a Proven Anti-Aging Solution to Keep Your Brain Young
If you’re one of the many adults in search of an anti-aging solution for mental health, improved cognitive function, and other brain health tips, the answer might be a lot simpler than you’d think. According to a new Dutch study, if you want to keep your brain young, just have sex. The research, published in… Continue reading Sex as a Proven Anti-Aging Solution to Keep Your Brain Young
5 Brain-Health Tips
As a fitness expert and neurosurgeon, Dr. Brett Osborn says he appreciates the growing public interest in general health and fitness. Now, he says, that attention needs to extend to arguably our most essential organ – the brain. “There are several, multi-billion dollar industries out there dedicated to burning fat and building muscle; cognitive health,… Continue reading 5 Brain-Health Tips
A Good Night’s Sleep Boosts Brain Power as We Age
A University of Oregon-led study published in the June 2014 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that middle-aged or older people who get six to nine hours of sleep a night think better than those sleeping fewer or more hours.
The study reaffirms numerous small-scale studies in the United States, Western Europe and Japan, but it does so using data compiled across six middle-income nations and involving more than 30,000 subjects for a long-term project that began in 2007.
Seeing the Inner Workings of the Brain
A team of scientists at Stanford University has improved a technique called CLARITY that they developed in 2013 to look into brains from deceased donors, according to a paper published June 19th 2014 in Nature Protocols. A release from the university explains that without this tool, the fatty outer covering of the brain’s nerve cells blocks microscopes from taking images of the intricate connections between deep brain cells. CLARITY eliminates the fatty covering while keeping the brain intact with all its intricate inner wiring.
Learning a 2nd Language Aids Your Aging Brain
If you grew up bilingual or learned a second language in high school, you’ve done your aging brain a favor. However, even if you start mastering a second language as an older adult, you can benefit from the positive effect your new non-native tongue will have on cognition as you age. That’s the finding of research done at the Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh and published in June 2014 in Annals of Neurology.