SharpBrains

In the post Top 10 Brain Training Future Trends I asked for suggestions to refine our predictions for the 2007-2015 period. A good number of people contributed, and the winner is...

Scott Spears, retired public schools superintendent.

His prediction: 

"Prediction 11: The notion of schooling will be structurally dramatically altered through the use of diagnostics related to the acquisition and improvement of basic cognitive skills (such as brain processing speed, attention, memory, and sequencing), along with prescriptions employing emerging brain fitness software exercises, beginning in the earliest grades and progressing through high school.

Schools will be structured around the acquisition of foundational cognitive skills, Continue Reading »

What a beautiful display of creativity:

Physical Fitness 'Godfather' Jack LaLanne Turns to Brain Fitness, Becoming Ambassador for Dakim's [m] Power System

- Dakim, Inc., announced today that 93-year-young Jack LaLanne, the world's most iconic figure in health and fitness, has signed on as a "brain fitness motivational coach" on behalf of the company's [m]Power Cognitive Fitness System, joining the company's efforts to help seniors fight against dementia.

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Today I had a great conversation with Martin Buschkuehl, one of the U Michigan researchers involved in the cognitive training study that has received much media attention since early last week, when the study was published at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

I will publish the interview notes next week. For the moment, let me paraphrase his answer to the question: "Why are computerized programs like the one you used fundamentally different from, say, simply doing many crossword puzzles?".

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Researchers at Yale University have just released a good paper showing the importance of both physical and mental exercise to maintain good memory (full text of research paper Single Enrichment Variables Reduce Aged-related Memory Decline in Female Mice).

Some quotes from the Science Daily release Exercise And Mental Stimulation Both Boost Mouse Memory Late In Life:

• "The results suggest that as we get old and maybe less able to exercise, cognitive stimulation can help to compensate. If the trend holds, write the authors, "These data may suggest that enrichment initiated at any age can significantly improve memory function. And exercise plus mental challenge in middle age --- when many people start to notice subtle memory changes --- may offer the strongest, most widespread benefits for memory function."
• The authors note that exercise was central to memory reinforcement in all age groups. Says lead author Karyn Frick, PhD, "It is important for people of all ages to do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise several times a week. Keeping a healthy and active brain may prevent memory decline in old age, but only a longitudinal study that follows mice over time could confirm this possibility."

We discussed this topic in more depth in my interview on Building Your Cognitive Reserve with Dr. Yaakov Stern and in the dialogue with Dr. Michael Merzenich that included featuring the pioneering work of Dr. Marian Diamond.

In short, if you want to protect and improve your memory, get ready to exercise both body and brain!

Dr. Yaakov Stern is the Division Leader of the Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Sergievsky Center, and Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York.

He is one of the leading proponents of the Cognitive reserve theory, which aims to explain why some individuals with full Alzheimer's pathology (accumulation of plaques and tangles in their brains) can keep normal lives until they die, while others -with the same amount of plaques and tangles- display the severe symptoms we associate with Alzheimer’s Disease. He has published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific papers on the subject.

The concept of a Cognitive Reserve has been around since 1989, when a post mortem analysis of 137 people with Alzheimer's Disease showed that some patients exhibited fewer clinical symptoms than their actual pathology suggested. These patients also showed higher brain weights and greater number of neurons when compared to age-matched controls. The investigators hypothesized that the patients had a larger "reserve" of neurons and abilities that enable them to offset the losses caused by Alzheimer's. Since then, the concept of Cognitive Reserve has been defined as the ability of an individual to tolerate progressive brain pathology without demonstrating clinical cognitive symptoms. (You can check at the end of this interview a great clip on this).

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Key take-aways

- Lifetime experiences, like education, engaging occupation, and leisure activities, have been shown to have a major influence on how we age, specifically on whether we will develop Alzheimer's symptoms or not.

- This is so because stimulating activities, ideally combining physical exercise, learning and social interaction, help us build a Cognitive Reserve to protect us.

- The earlier we start building our Reserve, the better; but it is never too late to start. And, the more activities, the better: the effect is cumulative.

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The Cognitive Reserve

Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Dear Dr. Stern, it is a pleasure to have you here. Let me first ask you this: the implications of your research are pretty astounding, presenting major implications across sectors and age groups. What has been the most unexpected reaction so far?

YS: well...I was pretty surprised when Continue Reading »

Hi,

It's Andreas, the neuroscience intern from Norway.

Lately, you might have noticed the comedian Judson Laipply's awesome movie clip, the Evolution of Dance on Youtube?

The dance is part of Laipply's "Inspirational Comedy" and has become a huge success. As a neuroscientist I'm interested in what are the neural substrates of dance? Further, I thought of ways to express this in an easy way so that people can learn more about the dance and the brain in a fun way. The result is my new Youtube video: A neurocomment on Laipply's movie clip.

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Very fun interview with Jack and Elaine LaLanne by Dave Bunnell: read it at Meet Fitness Legends Jack and Elaine LaLanne | ELDR.com. See some quotes:

• In 1936, Jack opened America’s first health club in Oakland, California, called the “Jack LaLanne Physical Culture Studio.”
• Through television shows, public appearances, and books—and by selling health-related products—they have been the most vocal and effective evangelists for preventive health the world has ever known.
• “Elaine works out,” Jack replies, “but I work out eight days a week. I spend an hour and a half in the gym, and then a half hour in the pool, and I change my routine every 30 days completely.”
• “You’ve got to go at it hard and work on different muscles,” he continues. “You know how you stay young, don’t you? You work your butt off. Anything you do in life that’s worthwhile, there’s a price to pay.”

Jack recently celebrated his 92nd birthday!

We all have to be very thankful for their life mission: a recent article from the Society for Neuroscience quotes:

"Everybody knows that exercise is good for your heart, but in recent years we've gathered compelling evidence that exercise is also good for your brain," says Fred Gage, PhD, of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. "We now know that exercise helps generate new brain cells, even in the aging brain."

You can check other tips in Continue Reading »

Here is question 18 of 25 from Brain Fitness 101: Answers to Your Top 25 Questions.

Question:
Is physical fitness important to your brain fitness?

Key Points:

• Exercise improves learning through increased blood supply and growth hormones.
• Exercise is an anti-depressant by reducing stress and promoting neurogenesis.
• Exercise protects the brain from damage and disease, as well as speeding the recovery.
• Exercise benefits you the most when you start young.

Answer:
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Here is question 15 of 25 from Brain Fitness 101: Answers to Your Top 25 Questions.

Question:
I don’t want to ever retire. What can I do to remain sharp?

Key Points:

• Provide your brain with regular mental stimulation that is novel and challenging.
• Maintain your social network for both stimulation and stress reduction.

“Research has shown that contrary to popular belief, the brain is constantly undergoing neurogenesis, the development of new neurons and dendrites,” said Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, Clinical Professor of Neurology at New York University School of Medicine. “Learning and targeted mental exercise promotes neurogenesis – the creation of new neurons – just as muscle growth is promoted through physical exercise.”

Answer:

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Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Brain Fitness Blog Carnival. The timing couldn’t be better — you have probably seen the featured CBS News/TIME Series on Brain Neuroplasticity.

Thanks to the over 40 people who submitted posts. We have had to select the posts we enjoyed the most to help facilitate an engaging and informed conversation.

Learning is physical. Our experience literally shapes our brains. And vice versa. The media seems to be focusing mostly on brain fitness for seniors, but its implications go beyond that, as you will see in this post by Caroline: What is Brain Fitness?, and the articles in this carnival.

Science-based understanding is evolving from “Use it or Lose It" to “Use It and Improve It”. As Fast Company's Alan Deutschman provocatively puts it in his last book, Change or Die. We couldn’t agree more with his summary recommendation: “Relate. Repeat. Reframe.” Alan presents a blog article announcing his book (here is his original article). Continue Reading »