Posts Tagged ‘brain-health-resources’
Pump up those little grey cells
Great article in the UK’s Sunday Times yesterday: Pump up those little grey cells, listing a variety of free or inexpensive brain health-related resources. We are honored (even honoured, I’d dare say) that they started the list with our complimentary Brain Fitness 101 e‑Guide: — “The science behind some of the more outlandish claims for…
Read MoreCognitive Development and Brain Research: Articles, Books, Papers (ASA)
We had a very fun session titled Teaching Brain Fitness in Your Community at an American Society on Aging (ASA) conference for health professionals a couple of weeks ago. Full house, with over 60 attendants and very good participation, showing great interest in the topic. I can’t wait to see the evaluations. These are some…
Read MoreOn The Brain
Very intense week, and very fun. I will be writing more about this week’s 3 speaking events, but let me say now that our key messages 1) our brains remain flexible during our lifetimes, 2) we can refine our brains with targeted practice, 3) good brain exercise, or “mental cross-training”, requires novelty, variety, and increasing level…
Read MoreNeuroplasticity 101 and Brain Health Glossary
Given the growing number of articles in the popular press mentioning words such as “neuroplasticity”, “fMRI” and “cognitive reserve”, let’s review some key findings, concepts and terms. First, a prescient quote by Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852–1934): “Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor his own brain”. Thanks to new neuroimaging…
Read MoreStress and Short Term Memory
We all know chronic stress is bad for our heart, our weight, and our mood, but how about our memory?Interestingly, acute stress can help you focus and remember things more vividly.Chronic stress, on the other hand, reduces your ability to focus and can specifically damage cells in the hippocampus, a brain structure critical to encoding short term memory.When is stress chronic? When you feel out of control of your life. You may feel irritable or anxious. While every individual varies in their response the type and quantity of stress, there are some things you can do to feel more in control of your environment. This sense of empowerment can lower your stress, and as a result, help your memory.
Read MoreYoga and stress management
Steven Edwards at Wired Blog writes a post titled Yoga Boosts Brain’s GABA Levels, saying that “Participants in the yoga group had a 27% increase in GABA levels, while those in the reading group remained unchanged. Co-authors Chris Streeter from BUSM and Domenic Ciraulo pointed out that this research shows a method of treating low…
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