A new study suggests that healthy older people who eat two or more servings of fish a week, including salmon, tuna and sardines, may have a lower risk later in life of developing vascular brain disease, a group of conditions that affect blood flow and blood vessels in the brain. The research is published in… Continue reading Fish Can Be Brain Food for Some Seniors
Tag: cognitive
Diet May Help Preserve Cognitive Health
According to a recent analysis of data from two major eye disease studies, adherence to the Mediterranean diet – high in vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil – correlates with higher cognitive function. Dietary factors also seem to play a role in slowing cognitive decline. Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of… Continue reading Diet May Help Preserve Cognitive Health
Some Dementia-Test Results May Be Biased
Quick tests known as “brief cognitive assessments” help doctors decide whether a patient should be given a full evaluation for dementia. But the results can be misleading. Three tests examined in the study were the Mini-Mental Stats Examination, which analyzes orientation to time and place and the ability to remember words; the Memory Impairment Screen,… Continue reading Some Dementia-Test Results May Be Biased
Intellectual, Social, Physical Activities Can Reduce Risk of Memory Loss Among Blacks
Blacks have nearly twice the rate of dementia as whites, putting them at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. But a new study shows that blacks with mild cognitive impairment – often a precursor to dementia – can reduce the risk of memory loss through a “behavioral intervention” that involves increasing social, cognitive and/or physical activity.… Continue reading Intellectual, Social, Physical Activities Can Reduce Risk of Memory Loss Among Blacks
“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
Chocolate and Your Brain
The cocoa bean, researchers have found, is a rich source of natural compounds that protect the brain. But that doesn’t mean you should start a diet heavy in chocolate. In their recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers examined the available literature for the effects of acute and chronic administration of the compounds,… Continue reading Chocolate and Your Brain
Muscle Strength Linked to Cognitive Functioning
There appears to be a newly discovered factor in maintaining better cognitive functioning in older people: muscle strength, according to a new Finnish study. The association of extensively measured upper and lower body muscle strength with cognitive function was observed, but handgrip strength was not associated with cognitive function. Cognition refers to brain functions relating to… Continue reading Muscle Strength Linked to Cognitive Functioning
Uncovering Why Playing A Musical Instrument Can Protect The Brain
Researchers have made a discovery that could pave the way for brain-rehabilitation interventions through musical training. A recent study conducted at Baycrest Health Sciences, in Toronto, focused on why playing a musical instrument can help older adults retain their listening skills and ward off age-related cognitive declines. The research was published in the Journal of… Continue reading Uncovering Why Playing A Musical Instrument Can Protect The Brain
How Childhood Learning Patterns Can Help Us Now
The way we learned as children can help us redefine what means to be an aging adult in terms of cognition, according to new research. Rachel Wu, a psychology professor at the University of California Riverside, says that habits developed throughout life can either encourage or discourage cognitive development. “We argue that across your lifespan,… Continue reading How Childhood Learning Patterns Can Help Us Now
Memory Loss Linked to Poor Sleep
A lack of sleep among older people elevates risk of memory loss as well as a number of physical and mental disorders, according to new research. UC Berkeley researchers published their conclusion in the journal Neuron. “Nearly every disease killing us in later life has a causal link to lack of sleep,” said the article’s… Continue reading Memory Loss Linked to Poor Sleep
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
Mentally Challenging Activities Key to A Healthy Aging Mind
Although evidence indicates that engaging in enriching activities may help maintain cognitive vitality, researchers haven’t really understood why – until now. The study was reported in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. Investigators at the University of Texas at Dallas proposed that only tasks that involved sustained mental effort and challenge would facilitate cognitive function. Senior author… Continue reading Mentally Challenging Activities Key to A Healthy Aging Mind
Study: Patients Accurately Report Their Cognitive State
A device that measures the state of an aging brain is reliable and valid when patients themselves use it, according to a new study. The patient self-reporting version of the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor measures 27 items on a four-point scale to assess cognitive, psychological and functional symptoms. It operates in the same way… Continue reading Study: Patients Accurately Report Their Cognitive State
Battling “Chemo Brain”
Scientists have identified a culprit in the condition known as “chemo brain,” a decrease in mental sharpness attributed to chemotherapy. The researchers, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, made the discovery in a study of an animal memory model. It has been estimated that up to half of patients taking cancer… Continue reading Battling “Chemo Brain”