When her husband was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, Elizabeth Pan was devastated by the lack of options to slow his inevitable decline. But she was encouraged when she discovered the work of a UCLA neurologist, Dr. Dale Bredesen, who offered a comprehensive lifestyle management program to halt or even reverse cognitive decline in patients like her husband.
supplements
Survey of 2500 families finds what ADHD treatments seem to work/ not work as applied in the real world

While carefully controlled clinical trials are essential for establishing scientific support for different ADHD treatments, it is also important to examine how parents feel about the treatments they actually select for their child.
How parents feel about ADHD treatments they have tried for their child provides an important complement to published clinical trials data, and can also help guide parents’ treatment choices. [Read more…] about Survey of 2500 families finds what ADHD treatments seem to work/ not work as applied in the real world
On neurons, lifelong learning, meditation, humility, “empty brain calories” and more
Welcome to a new edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, featuring 12 fascinating neuroscience findings and open questions–and the beautiful image above.
#1. “With this image I want to illustrate the large advances made in imaging methods over the past century, allowing modern neuroscientists to look at neurons in ways that Cajal could have only dreamed of.” – Silvia Rodriguez-Rozada, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg. Award-winning image shows neuroimaging progress in a century
#2. One more reason why lifelong learning matters: Study: High Cognitive Reserve (CR) seen to significantly lower dementia risk even in the presence of high Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) neuropathology
#3. It’s Friday; perfect time to make some fun and healthy weekend plans: How feeling awe in nature can spur mental well-being and personal growth
#4. Not a bad idea either: On cutting “empty brain calories” by reading a book instead of social media
#5. “…humility helps people let go of defensiveness, take in information that challenges their political views, and see the humanity in people on the other side of the political spectrum. Though it’s not always easy to embrace—especially for those who wrongfully equate it with weakness or a lack of conviction—humility may be what we desperately need right now in the United States.” On perception, cognitive bias and cultivating humility ahead of next week’s vote
#6. “When it feels like the world is crashing down around them, giving young people a moment to feel, express, and receive gratitude can help—and that in itself is something to be grateful for.” Study: A combined teaching + app gratitude program helps adolescents address anxiety and improve mental health
#7. To honor ADHD Awareness Month, let’s address this most important question: What should come first to treat ADHD in children, behavior therapy or stimulant medication?
#8. Debate: Can mindfulness and meditation be harmful? Two new studies answer the question in apparently opposite but actually quite complementary ways.
#10. “…new study funded by the National Institutes of Health that aims to recruit 30,000 volunteers to participate in a memory training study that compares multiple approaches to train working memory”: Given cognitive strengths and needs are diverse, what brain training may work best for each person and under which conditions?
#11. “Virtual reality is a promising skills-based behavioral medicine that has been shown to have high patient engagement and satisfaction,” said Beth Darnall, PhD, AppliedVR’s chief science advisor. “However, chronic pain patients to date have had very limited access to it, so we’re excited to continue working with the FDA to develop our platform and get it into the market faster.” The FDA clears AppliedVR headset to help treat fibromyalgia and chronic pain
#12. “Having run a media company in a tough market with a young, millennial workforce, we witnessed first-hand how there was a complete lack of investment in helping this generation with their mental health in a way that they’re used to: a community product that is mobile-first and video-led. We want to make the world a happier place by making working on your mental health as normal as going to the gym.” — Adnan Ebrahim, co-founder and CEO of MindLabs. What will the ‘Peloton for mental health’ look like five years from now? And, who will develop it?
Wishing you a safe and healthy November,
Alvaro Fernandez and the SharpBrains Team
Study: Some “brain-boosting” supplements sold in the US contain not-approved drugs at supratherapeutic doses, exposing users to unknown side effects
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Some brain-boosting supplements contain an unapproved drug that could harm users, study warns (STAT news):
“Promising to lift brain fog or improve memory, brain-boosting supplements have joined sexual-enhancement and weight-loss remedies in the lightly regulated world of dietary supplements. These products may be sold legally with broad-brush come-ons like these, as long as they don’t make specific claims about treating a disease — or contain actual drugs.
New research led by Dr. Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School documents five supplement brands for sale in the U.S. that contain various amounts of piracetam [Read more…] about Study: Some “brain-boosting” supplements sold in the US contain not-approved drugs at supratherapeutic doses, exposing users to unknown side effects
Limitless evidenceless trend: The growth of nootropic supplements
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The all-too-understandable urge to buy a better brain (Vox):
“… unfortunately, Bradley Cooper is partly to blame for the boom of the edible brain-improvement industry.
In 2011, he starred in Limitless, a movie about a man who takes a special pill and becomes smarter and more capable than anyone else on Earth. I’m joking about the cultural significance of this movie, but I’m also not. It was a wild card and an unexpected hit, and it mainstreamed an idea that had already been taking hold among Silicon Valley biohackers and human optimization zealots. [Read more…] about Limitless evidenceless trend: The growth of nootropic supplements
Update: Large study finds that consistent use of ADHD medication may stunt growth by 2 inches (5 centimeters)
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Time for SharpBrains’ eNewsletter, bringing you latest news around medication, brain training, supplements, mind-wandering, digital therapeutics, wearables, and more — and also a few quick brain teasers to wrap-up.
New research:
- Consistent use of ADHD medication may stunt growth by 2 inches, large study finds
- Mind-wandering may help enhance creativity, job performance and general well-being, studies show
- The ultimate in transfer from brain training to real-world outcomes: Reducing the risk of at-fault accidents by almost 50%
New thinking:
- AARP, TINA.org and the National Consumers League join forces to challenge Prevagen memory improvement claims
- Reinventing Brain Medicine, pharma adopts digital therapeutics: Evidence-based videogames, smartphone apps, and sensors
- Forget the Oscars — the Greater Goodies honor ten films that highlight the growth mindset, resilience, and more
New tools:
- Next in clinical practice: Automated real-time detection of seizures via wearable EMG devices
- DARPA invests in nonsurgical neurotechnologies for eventual use in healthy human subjects
Finally, we have a couple of fun, quick brain teasers for you, and also a selection of articles to celebrate Brain Awareness Week 2018.
Have a great spring,
The SharpBrains Team