Each month, some of the most fascinating speakers participate in interactive conversations about the latest advances in brain health science, technology and real-world application.
All talks are virtual and free of charge. Register for the season and attend as many talks as you like. [Read more…] about Reminder: UT-Dallas BrainHealth presents virtual talks with Alvaro Fernandez (this Thursday, April 21st) and Sanjay Gupta (next Tuesday, April 26th)
Each month, the most fascinating speakers participate in interactive conversations about the latest advances in brain health science, technology and real-world application.
All talks are virtual and free of charge. Register for the season and attend as many talks as you like.
» Learn More & Register HERE
NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL BRAIN HEALTH MARKET
with Alvaro Fernandez
April 21, 2022 | 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Mr. Fernandez, named a Young Global Leader, runs SharpBrains, an independent market research firm tracking applied neuroscience will present the latest trends in digital brain health and society’s march toward pervasive neurotechnology.
He is the editor-in-chief of seminal market reports on Pervasive Neurotechnology and Digital Brain Health, and co-author of the books The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness and El Cerebro Que Cura.
KEEP SHARP
with Sanjay Gupta, MD
April 26, 2022 | 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Sanjay Gupta – neurosurgeon, medical reporter and author – is a leading voice on health, wellness and active living, and a trusted resource for expert advice on how to stay healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the country’s premier narrator of health, he makes important scientific developments relatable. He will share insights from his recent NY Times best-seller Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age.
Like many people over 60, I sometimes lose my keys or forget the names of favorite films. When I do, it makes me wonder: Is this the beginning of cognitive decline? Or, worse, am I fated to follow in the footsteps of my mother, who died of Lewy-body dementia in her 70s?
According to neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta, CNN medical correspondent and author of the new book Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age, the answer is no. Forgetfulness is normal at all ages, and your genes don’t doom you to dementia. What’s important is taking care of your brain in the best way possible, he argues.
“You can affect your brain’s thinking and memory far more than you realize or appreciate, and the vast majority of people haven’t even begun to try,” he writes.
Gupta distills results from hundreds of research studies to help readers understand what’s known (and not known) [Read more…] about New book outlines the five lifestyle pillars to “build a better brain at any age”
And, if you’re looking for New Year Resolutions, here you can find some inspiration and ideas…
1. To harness neuroplasticity, start with enthusiasm
2. How learning changes your brain
3. What you should know about neuroplasticity and dance
4. Three ways to protect your mental health during –and after– COVID-19
5. Can you grow your hippocampus? Yes. Here’s how, and why it matters
6. Five reasons the future of brain enhancement is digital, pervasive and (hopefully) bright
7. What are cognitive abilities and how to boost them?
8. Six tips to build resilience and prevent brain-damaging stress
9. Solving the Brain Fitness Puzzle Is the Key to Self-Empowered Aging
10. Read, Play, Train: 3 New Year Resolutions and 36 Ideas for a Happier & Healthier 2021
Large Study Confirms Vitamin D Does Not Reduce Risk of Depression in Adults (Mass General press release):
Vitamin D supplementation does not protect against depression in middle-age or older adulthood according results from one of the largest ever studies of its kind … “There was no significant benefit from the supplement for this purpose. It did not prevent depression or improve mood,” says Olivia I. Okereke, MD, MS, of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Psychiatry Department.
Dementia: negative thinking linked with more rapid cognitive decline, study indicatesDementia affects an estimated 54 million people worldwide. There no cure, but reports indicate that approximately a third of dementia cases may be preventable, which is why many researchers have begun to focus on identifying risk factors. This would allow for better personalised interventions that may be able to reduce risk, delay, or even prevent the onset of dementia.
Current research shows that genetics, high blood pressure, and smoking are all risk factors for developing dementia. But a lot of people don’t realise that there is also a relationship between mental ill-health and higher dementia risk too. Studies have shown that depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder are all linked to a higher risk of developing dementia in older age. Our recent study builds on this research by examining whether a style of thinking that is common to these mental health conditions is associated with indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.
People experiencing mental ill health frequently engage in a style of thinking called “Repetitive Negative Thinking”. This style of thinking involves the tendency to have negative thoughts about the future (worry) or about the past (rumination), and these thoughts can feel uncontrollable.
In 2015, I developed a hypothesis called [Read more…] about Repetitive negative thinking may increase (or perhaps be caused by) cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s pathology
