Time for SharpBrains’ July e-newsletter, featuring fascinating scientific findings, emerging brain health practices and insights…and some fun teasers.

New research

Let’s start with the key take-aways from a new and very insightful evidence review which found nine modifiable risk factors for dementia — accounting for 35% of all cases:
— Education by age 15 (during early life)
— Hypertension; Obesity; Hearing loss (in mid-life)
— Depression; Diabetes; Physical inactivity; Smoking; Low social contact (in later life)

• Report: 35% of worldwide dementia cases could be prevented by modifying these 9 modifiable risk factors
• Study shows how practicing gratitude can help train your brain and improve mental health over time
• With 25% of US physicians aged 65+, hospitals test older doctors on mental and physical acuity

New thinking

• “Our health starts and ends with brain health” — Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, at the 2016 SharpBrains Virtual Summit
• Four Ways to Upgrade Brain Health in the Digital Age
• Call for nominations and applications @ Global Teacher Prize 2018

Upcoming events

• Brain Health Challenge by MIT Solve (Submissions due August 1st)
• Reminder and Discount Code: BrainFutures 2017 to take place September 6-7th in Washington, DC
• 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: Brain Enhancement in the Digital Age (December 5-7th, 2017), featuring a stellar “Sharp Tank” of Judges shaping brain-related innovation in healthcare, education, the workplace, and general quality of life.

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Finally, you may want to Test your Brain and Mind with these 9 Classic Optical Illusions 🙂

Have a great August!

The SharpBrains Team

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BrainFutures 2017 is a one-and-a-half-day conference featuring renowned leaders sharing research-to-practice innovation to optimize brain health and transform mental health care. Keynote speakers include Dr. Norman Doidge, Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Dr. John Ratey, Dr. Adam Gazzaley, Alvaro Fernandez, and more. The conference is certified to offer CEU and CME credits.

• Where: Gaylord National Resort (Washington, D.C.)
• When: September 6-7, 2017  Read the rest of this entry »

The Lancet Commission: One Third of Dementia May Be Preventable (Lancet report release):

“Today’s findings are extremely hopeful,” said Maria Carrillo, PhD, chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “At an individual level, many people have the potential to reduce their risk of cognitive decline, and perhaps dementia, through simple, healthful behavior changes. At a public health level, interventions based on this evidence could be extremely powerful in managing the global human and economic costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.” Read the rest of this entry »

The 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit (December 5-7th, 2017) will feature over thirty of the world’s top experts and innovators working on ways to reinvent Brain Enhancement in light of emerging Neuroscience and Digital Technologies.

Click HERE to learn more and reserve your spot.

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Will we soon have an “annual brain check-up” — and what may it look like? Under what conditions may specific brain training/ enhancement methods work? How can we best harness both human neuroplasticity and artificial intelligence (AI) to thrive in the 21st Century? Which companies, technologies and solutions are gaining the most traction so far, and what are some best practices for appropriate use?

This presentation took place at the 2016 SharpBrains Virtual Summit (December 6-8th, 2016).

–> Learn more about the upcoming 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: Brain Enhancement in the Digital Age (December 5-7th, 2017). The 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit will feature over thirty of the world’s top experts and innovators working on ways to enhance our brain health and performance in light of emerging neuroscience and digital technologies. Additionally, and for the first time, it will host a Brainnovations Pitch Contest to foster collaborative problem-solving between scientists, practitioners, technologists and entrepreneurs.