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Self-help For Your Brain

Greg's picture

Exercised your brain lately? Research seems to indicate that the way you use your brain now can lead to benefits later in life. LifeTwo's "Brain Health" section looks into this dynamic and important area. Topics include Alzheimer's disease and memory. For an overview, see the article The Science of Brain Aging.

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Start Here: Our Key Articles About Brain Health

Nintendo's "Big Brain Academy" Beats "Brain Age"

Greg's picture

A few weeks ago I reviewed Nintendo's "Brain Age" for the DS handheld and found it somewhat dull. Always on the lookout for fun and worthwhile brain exercise tools, this week I grabbed a copy of Nintendo's "Big Brain Academy" with the hope that a different approach might bring some fun into my mental workout.

So now that LifeTwo owns the two leading brain training tools for the DS (and, judging by Amazon's videogame bestseller list, the leading such titles on any platform), which would I rather use to work myself into a mental sweat? »more»

The Science of Brain Aging

Greg's picture

Research into brain aging is remarkable: we know so much, yet basic questions remain unanswered. In this overview, we'll look at what we understand about the brain's aging process, and how it can go awry and result in dementias like Alzheimer's disease. »more»

Harvard's Most Popular Course: How To Be Happy

Greg's picture

Harvard's most popular course isn't freshman econ, it's ... happiness. The Boston Globe tells us about Positive Psychology, with 855 students: »more»

Consumer Reports' Five Ways to Keep Your Memory Sharp

Greg's picture

The March 2007 issue of Consumer Reports has more than the usual product comparisons -- it also has a quick look at what lifestyle changes have been shown to aid memory. »more»

What to do about Midlife Depression

Wesley's picture

A few days ago we wrote about female midlife depression and its confusing relationship with female menopause. »more»

Excess Weight Hurts Mental Performance Now ... And It Gets Worse

Greg's picture

New research links being overweight with substandard performance on tests of mental ability such as memory, learning, and attention, and with faster mental decline over time. »more»

Charting Declining Brain Performance

Greg's picture

The good news for people 35 - 55 is that your brain performance is holding steady. The bad news is what happens after your mid-50's. »more»

Studies Show How To Take Care of Your Brain

Greg's picture

Want to keep your brain healthy? Some key scientific studies give ideas about what you should be doing. »more»

LifeTwo's Interview With Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, Who Looks At Midlife Memory Problems in "Carved in Sand"

Greg's picture

Can't remember where you put the keys ... or the car? Finding yourself standing at your dresser, blanking on what it was you came to look for? Forgetting names you just shouldn't forget?

What is going on with your once-reliable brain? »more»

Use Technology As A Brain Crutch

Greg's picture

Do you have too many of those "now what was I doing?" moments? Can't remember that great idea you had just a moment ago?

On a recent MacBreak Weekly podcast, veteran radio / tv / tech guy Leo Laporte remarked:

"You know, it's actually encouraging for those of us, as we get older, because now ... technology is designed to take over where our brains leave off. I use 'Google-assisted memory' all the time. I don't remember anything, but I can find it fast."

When I heard that, I thought "there's a LifeTwo story in there -- covering the ways technology can aid less reliable middle-aged brains." Unfortunately, I then forgot about the idea for a few days ... proving the need for this article.* »more»

Middle Age Health Alert: Alzheimer's Disease

Wesley's picture

In a lengthy and detailed article, the Los Angeles Times has summarized the state of the war on Alzheimer's disease. It's not pretty and can be summed up in one sentence, "Scientists still aren't sure what causes the disease or how to cure it." »more»

Our Most Recent Articles About Brain Health

Brain Boost: How Gingko Biloba Might Help After All

Greg's picture

Last year we asked "Will Taking Ginkgo Biloba Help My Memory?" and concluded: »more»

Older persons with more schooling spend fewer years with cognitive loss

Wesley's picture

A new study funded by the National Institute of Aging had results that are consistent with the theory that those individuals with more education process tasks more efficiently and/or use other compensatory mechanisms that delay the onset of cognitive impairment. »more»

Report: More than 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer's

Wesley's picture

According to a report just released by the Alzheimer's Association:

• As many as 5.2 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s.

• 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's in their lifetime.

• Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s.

• Alzheimer's is the seventh-leading cause of death. »more»

How fairness affects our brains and our happiness; More important than money

Wesley's picture

UCLA researchers using brain imaging techniques have found that the parts of the brain associated with happiness are the same ones that get stimulated when subjects feel that they are being treated in a fair manner. In other words, we are hard-wired to feel happy when we perceive that we are being treated equitably. »more»

One food you should never forget is blueberries

Wesley's picture

According to a study soon to be published in the science journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, a research team from the University of Reading has found that blueberries and other phytochemical-rich foods are effective at reversing age-related deficits in memory."The research team was able to show that the ability of flavonoids to induce memory improvements are mediated by the »more»

Dementia diagnosis brings relief, not depression

Wesley's picture

New research from Washington University in St. Louis indicates knowing the truth about having dementia as soon as possible improves the emotional well-being of both patients and their caregivers. The study is published in the current Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. »more»

The benefit of exercise on the brain; Best bet, train with a friend

Wesley's picture

In his new book "Spark," author John J. Ratey, M.D., explains emerging research indicating the positive effect that exercise has on brain health from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. »more»

Lack of Sleep is bad for brain health

Wesley's picture

Chronic sleep deprivation is increasingly being implicated in mental and cognitive problems. According to a recent article in Los Angeles Times, lack of sleep can lead to increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, impaired learning, mood disorders, and even bipoloar disorder. Excerpts: »more»

Good news: Memory loss declining among U.S. seniors

Wesley's picture

According to a new study being published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, older Americans are having less trouble with memories. Ken Langa of the University of Michigan, who conducted the study, believes the reason might be because today's seniors spent more time in school than previous generations. »more»

Vitamin E or C does not reduce risk of dementia or Alzheimer's

Wesley's picture

Use of over-the-counter vitamin E or C supplements does not reduce the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This is according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. »more»

Antidepressant drugs much less effective than believed

Wesley's picture

The effectiveness of a dozen popular antidepressants has been exaggerated by selective publication of favorable results, according to a review of unpublished data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration and reported in the New York Ti »more»

Preparing for the worst: People with dimentia live 4.5 years after diagnosis

Wesley's picture

In a sobering study by researchers at the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge, people with dementia survive an average four-and-a-half years after diagnosis. »more»

Middle Age Health Alert: Alzheimer's Disease

Wesley's picture

In a lengthy and detailed article, the Los Angeles Times has summarized the state of the war on Alzheimer's disease. It's not pretty and can be summed up in one sentence, "Scientists still aren't sure what causes the disease or how to cure it." »more»

Inheriting Dementia and What You Can Do About It

Wesley's picture

When one parent has dementia, your risk of developing the dementia triples. But what if both of your parents have it? »more»

Should you be screened for Alzheimer's?

Wesley's picture

Everyone knows that the earlier you detect a disease the better. Early detection of Alzheimer's disease allows a patient to better plan for their future and to take medication to delay symptoms from worsening. Therefore it would follow that older people should have regular screenings for the disease. »more»