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By Rick T. on 05/12/2013 in Brain Fitness

Neurogenesis is the process by which the brain generates new neurons and new connections

It happens that as we get old, the neurogenesis process in our brains decreases. This affects our life by making us more difficult to learn new things (and by hence, change our opinions or views of the world).

The reason why neurogenesis decreases with age has two sides: first, neurogenesis decreases due to several physiological issues (motivated by genes) with age. Second, not making use of the neurogenesis (by learning or doing new things) atrophies neurogenesis.

You can do little to avoid the first reason: you should have a healthy life. Doing sports and eating properly can minimise the effect of genes in neurogenesis. However, the effect on that is very small. You can however, work on the atrophy of neurogenesis and have a high impact on it by performing new things. This could be as simple as going to work along a different path, or having a different drink at the bar, or changing your weekend.

However, you can do the best impact in your neurogenesis by learning new things. If you don’t know what to learn, below, you will find a list of challenging tasks that you can learn and maintain your neurogenesis alive.

Look through the list, and choose something that suits you. And when you have mastered it, come back here and pick another thing.

Learning new things, from now on, should be a constant in your life!

Learn New Languages
Learn to play an instrument
Learn an artistic skill
Learn about computers
Learn a new sport
Study a different career
Learn a dancing style
Learn social skills
Learn to play a new table game
Prepare for a mental competition

In addition to the list above, you must realize that learning Insanity Mind will increase your neurogenesis. There are two reasons: one, it will teach you new things and challenge in all the main skills of the brain (memory techniques, mental calculus, speed reading…). Second, once you master the Insanity Mind method you will have a very powerful box of mental tools ready to be used to learn other things (like the ones in the list above).

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.

Physical Exercise and Brain Health
By: Dr. Pascale Michelon

What is the connection between physical and mental exercises? Do they have addictive effects on brain health? Are they redundant?

Let’s start by reviewing what we know about the effects of physical exercise on the brain.

The effect of physical exercise on cognitive performance

Early studies compared groups of people who exercised to groups of people who did not exercise much. Results showed that people who exercised usually had better performance in a range of cognitive tasks compared to non-exercisers.

Laurin and colleagues (2001) even suggested that moderate and high levels of physical activity were associated with lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The problem with these studies is that the exercisers and the non-exercisers may differ on other factors than just exercise. The advantage that exerciser show may not come from exercising but from other factors such as more resources, better brain health to start with, better diet, etc.

The solution to this problem is to randomly assigned people to either an aerobic training group or a control group. If the exerciser group and the non-exerciser group are very similar to start with and if the exerciser group shows less decline or better performance over time than the non­-exerciser group, then one can conclude that physical exercise is beneficial for brain health.

In 2003, Colcombe and Kramer, analyzed the results of 18 scientific studies published between 2000 and 2001 that were conducted in the way described above.

The results of this meta-analysis clearly showed that fitness training increases cognitive perfor­mance in healthy adults between the ages of 55 and 80.

Another meta-analysis published in 2004 by Heyn and colleagues shows similar beneficial effects of fitness training on people over 65 years old who had cognitive impairment or dementia.

What is the effect of fitness training on the brain itself?

Research with animals has shown that in mice, increased aerobic fitness (running) can increase the number of new cells formed in the hippocampus (the hippocampus is crucial for learning and memory). Increased exercise also has a beneficial effect on mice’s vascular system.

Only one study has used brain imaging to look at the effect of fitness on the human brain. In 2006, Colcombe and colleagues randomly assigned 59 older adults to either a cardiovascular exercise group, or a nonaerobic exercise control group (stretching and toning exercise). Participants exercised 3h per week for 6 months. Colcombe et al. scanned the participants’ brains before and after the training period.

After 6 months, the brain volume of the aerobic exercising group increased in several areas compared to the other group. Volume increase occurred principally in frontal and temporal areas of the brain involved in executive control and memory processes. The authors do not know what underlying cellular changes might have caused these volume changes. However they suspect, based on animal research, that volume changes may be due to an increased number of blood vessels and an increased number of connections between neurons.

How does physical exercise compare to mental exercise?

Very few studies have tried to compare the effect of physical exercise and mental exercise on cognitive performance.

When looking at each domain of research one notices the following differences:

– The effects of cognitive or mental exercise on performance seem to be very task specific, that is trained tasks benefit from training but the benefits do not transfer very well to tasks in which one was not trained.

– The effects of physical exercise on performance seem broader. However they do not generalize to all tasks. They benefit mostly tasks that involve executive-control components (that is, tasks that require planning, working memory, multitasking, resistance to distraction).

To my knowledge only one study tried to directly compare cognitive and fitness training:

Physical Exercise and Brain Health
By: Dr. Pascale Michelon

Fabre and colleagues, in 1999, randomly assigned subjects to 4 groups: an aerobic training group (walking or running for 2 h per week for 2 months), a memory training group (one 90 min ses­ sion a week for 2 months), a combined aerobic and mental training group, or a control group (no training).

Results showed that compared to the control group, the memory performance of all 3 groups increased. The combined group showed greater increase than the other 2 training groups.

This suggests that the effects of cognitive and fitness training may be additive. However this study involved only 8 participants per group! More research is clearly needed before anything can be safely concluded.

In the meantime let’s play it safe and combine fitness and cognitive training for better brain health.

References

Colcombe, S. & Kramer, A. F. (2003). Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: A meta-analytic study. Psychological Science, 14(2), 125-130.

Colcombe, S. J., Erickson, K. I., Scalf, P. E., Kim, J. S., Prakash, R., McAuley, E., Elavsky, S., Marquez, D. X., Hu, L., & Kramer, A. F. (2006). Aerobic exercise training increases brain vol­ume in aging humans. Journal of Gerontology, 61A(11), 1166-1170.

Fabre, C., Msse-Biron, J., Chamari, K., Varray, A., Mucci, P., & Prefaut, C. (1999). Evaluation of quality of life in elderly healthy subjects after aerobic and/or mental training. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 28, 9-22.

Heyn P.; Abreu B. C.; Ottenbacher K. J. (2004). The effects of exercise training on elderly per­sons with cognitive impairment and dementia: a meta-analysis. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 85(10), 1694-704.

Laurin, D., Verreault, R., Lindsay, J., MacPherson, K., & Rockwood, K. (2001). Physical activ­ity and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly persons. Archives of Neurology, 58( 3), 498-504.

-This article was written by Pascale Michelon. Ph. D., for SharpBrains.com. Dr. Michelon, Copyright 2008. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and is a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts.

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.

A vast body of evidence demonstrates the physical benefits of a healthy social life. Conversely, loneliness and social isolation have been clearly linked to poor health outcomes. Numerous studies have shown that socially isolated seniors even have a shorter life expectancy. “A Review of Social Isolation” by Nicholas R. Nicholson published in The Journal of Primary Prevention, is a definitive scholarly article on social isolation and a comprehensive “study of studies.” Its introduction observes bluntly that “social isolation has been demonstrated to lead to numerous detrimental health effects in older adults, including increased risk for all-cause mortality, dementia, increase risk for re-hospitalization, and an increased number of falls.”

Social isolation among seniors is alarmingly common, and will continue to increase in prevalence as the older population grows. “A Review of Social Isolation” notes that the prevalence of social isolation among community dwelling older adults (seniors who live at home rather than senior communities) may be as high as 43%. With the sheer number of older persons projected to increase exponentially in the near future, social isolation will likely impact the health, well-being and quality of life of numerous older person now and in the foreseeable future.

Considering the demonstrated risks and the increasing prevalence of this issue, it’s certainly worth addressing how we can promote social integration at the larger social level, among our older loved ones, and even ourselves – for it has been shown that family caregivers are themselves at a high risk of social isolation

Here are some ways to promote social health and connectedness:

1. Make Transportation Available

Lack of adequate transportation is a primary cause of a social isolation. Because many seniors do not drive, this is a big issue for them, so anything that helps seniors get around and make independent choices about travel promotes their social health. On the level of society, creating a solid public transportation infrastructure and providing special transportation options to seniors and disabled people will help promote their social integration. For example, our blog recently reported that giving free buses to seniors promotes their health. On the level of our family, offering rides to older loved ones and helping them to learn to use public transportation will help them maintain social connections and a healthy sense of independence.

2. Promote Sense of Purpose

Seniors with a sense of purpose or hobbies that really interest them are less likely to succumb to the negative effects of social isolation. Besides providing a sense of purpose,many hobbies and interests are inherently social in nature. Anything that involves a group, for example, playing bridge, could be said to be socially healthy. If a senior is bereft of ideas for what to do, there are always planned events at the local senior center. Volunteering is also great way of maintaining and expressing a sense of purpose. Encouraging seniors to remain active in their hobbies and interests, and providing them opportunities to volunteer can help them maintain their sense of purpose and keep them from becoming isolated and lonely.

3. Encourage Religious Seniors to Maintain Attendance at their Places of Worship

For seniors who have been regular churchgoers, this weekly social connection has been shown to be quite beneficial. Nicholson’s review observed that many studies have shown the benefits of churchgoing for seniors: “Those frequently attending religious services have been found to have lower mortality rates than those with infrequent attendance.” Older church goers not only benefit from the social interaction and sense of purpose that weekly worship provides, but they also benefit from the watchful eye of other churchgoers, who are likely to recognize a decline in an isolated senior that may have gone unnoticed otherwise.

4. Give a Senior a Pet or Plant to Take Care Of

Many experts note that the act of nurturing can relieve feelings of social isolation.In the peer reviewed paper “Emotional Benefits of Dog Ownership”, Eve Beals succinctly outlines the benefits of nurturing a pet: “Pet owners remain engaged socially, have less depression, suffer less loneliness, feel more secure, have more motivation for constructive use of time and require less medication that non-pet owners. Animal companionship facilitates establishing friends, is a social lubricant, gives a reason to get up in the morning and is an icebreaker.” Obviously, you would need to make certain that the senior is capable and willing to properly care for the pet before giving a pet as a gift. Assuming the senior is capable of caring for a pet, nurturing and caring for an animal companion can be quite beneficial. Even tending a garden can satisfy our nurturing drive, so giving a senior a plant or gardening supplies as a gift can be beneficial too.

5. Encourage a Positive Body Image

It’s not just young women and girls who can have social or health issues prompted by body image concerns. Nicholson’s review notes that some research has shown that many older adults avoid social interaction because of a poor body image, “…Individuals with a poor body image attributable to being overweight may decrease or cease interactions with their social networks to the point where they could be at risk for social isolation. For example, individuals who are overweight may be self-conscious or embarrassed,and, therefore, less likely to engage in their social networks.” Compliments and positive comments can go a long way to boosting the self-esteem of seniors. Similarly, discouraging seniors from fretting over their appearance or catastrophizing the cosmetic effects of aging may help them avoid becoming self-conscious to the point that they avoid social interactions. For seniors who are genuinely overweight, addressing the root problem by encouraging weight loss through healthy eating and exercise can be helpful too, but always be positive and sensitive in efforts to encourage older loved ones to lose weight.

6. Encourage Hearing and Vision Tests

Seniors with undiagnosed or untreated hearing problems may avoid social situations because of embarrassment and difficulty communicating. Encourage seniors to have their hearing checked and hearing problems treated. A hearing aid may be the only barrier between a senior and better social health. Vision tests are important too as sight problems “limit opportunities for social interactions with others” according Nicholson’s landmark review on social isolation research.

7. Make Adaptive Technologies Available

Adaptive technologies, ranging from walkers to the above mentioned hearing aids, help seniors to compensate for age related deficits and deficiencies that can impede social interaction. Many seniors do not take full advantage of these devices. Sometimes they may be embarrassed because they don’t want to look or feel old. In other cases, the device may be overly expensive and not covered by insurance. Both as a society and in our own families we can encourage and facilitate the use of adaptive aids that make it possible for seniors to have active and involved social lives.

8. Notify Neighbors

Because socially isolated seniors may be vulnerable to a variety of unexpected problems and may have underlying issues such as dementia, their loved ones should consider informing members of their loved one’s community that there is a vulnerable adult in the neighborhood. Trusted neighbors within a block radius or so should be introduced to the senior if feasible, informed about any particular issues the senior may have,and asked to keep a friendly eye out in case anything seems amiss.

9. Encourage Dining with Others

The act of eating with others is inherently social. In Food and Eating: An Anthropological Perspective, Robin Fox writes that eatingis “a profoundly social urge. Food is almost always shared; people eat together; mealtimes are events when the whole family or settlement or village comes together. Food is also an occasion for sharing, for distributing and giving, for the expressing of altruism, whether from parents to children, children to in-laws,or anyone to visitors and strangers.” Encourage seniors to share a meal with others whenever possible, whether it’s with a church group,the local senior center, or a friendly cafe or diner. Dining with others is also likely to help promote better nutrition, which is crucial for the elderly.

10. Address Incontinence Issues

For obvious reasons, a senior who experiences incontinence may be hesitant to leave their home and could become isolated. When family caregivers and health professionals make sure that incontinence issues are appropriately addresses,for example through medications and incontinence supplies, incontinent seniors can have a better opportunity to recognize their social potentials and live life without embarrassment and fear of going into public.

11. Give a Hug

There’s nothing like a hug from grandma. And research has shown that friendly platonic touching from friends and family, like hand holding or hugging, can lower stress and promote feelings of well-being. On the other hand, people deprived of touch can experience decreased well-being. So even if you or your older relatives are not the touchy-feely types, at the very least weave a friendly hug into your greetings and farewells.

12. Give Extra Support to Seniors Who Have Recently Lost a Spouse

Older adults may be at highest risk for becoming socially isolated during the period after a spouse has passed away. When you’ve shared your life with a beloved spouse and companion for decades, it can be like losing the foundation of your existence when that person dies. For this reason, it’s important to provide extra emotional and social support to recent widows and widowers while they are grieving. Do more than bring flowers; go the extra mile and spend more time with the senior in the days and weeks following his or her loss. This can make all the difference for the bereaved senior’s well-being,and it helps to encourage a healthy grieving process rather than a spiral into prolonged depression and isolation.

13. Identification of Socially Isolated Seniors by Public Health Professionals

Often family members will be the first to notice when social isolation is affecting a senior’s well-being, but not all seniors have the benefit of loved ones who live nearby and can check on their well-being. For this reason,public health professionals should be on the lookout for signs of social isolation problems in their clients and patients so that appropriate interventions can be arranged. After all, nothing can be done to help socially isolated seniors if no one recognizes that they are socially isolated.

14. Help Out a Caregiver in Your Life

Family caregivers who are helping to care for an elderly loved one probably don’t consider themselves seniors and are also probably more concerned about the social well-being of the person they are caring for than their own social well-being. But many caregivers are 50+ and caregiving itself can actually trigger socialisolation. In Squires’ AARP article she summarizes the social and health risks of caregiving: “Caregivers often work by themselves,and more than half (53%) say they have less time for friends and family. All too often, they don’t call doctors when they are sick, and they have little or no time to exercise or eat well. Studies show that up to 70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression.” So if you are a caregiver,remember to take care yourself. It’s not just the person you are caring for who’s at risk of social isolation, itis you. And if you know a caregiver,or a loved one in your family shoulders the burden of caregiving for an elderly family member, take whatever steps you can to make that person’s life easier and to allow them to have a social life of their own.

What are your thoughts about how to encourage seniors to remain social integrated? What steps can we take as individuals or as a society that weren’t discussed in this article? Have you helped a senior in your own family overcome social isolation?

About the Author

Jeff Anderson attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks on an academic scholarship and also studied creative writing at University of Hull’s Scarborough Campus (UK). Jeff found his professional calling in 2009 when he began working with seniors and their families at A Place for Mom. His passion for helping seniors and his fondness for the written word are evident in his articles about issues affecting older adults and their families. Jeff also writes and records music under the moniker Mysterious Inventors. Additionally he’s an avid chess player and a proud parent.
jeffa@aplaceformom.com | 1300 Dexter Avenue North, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98109, USA

 

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.

Art as a Mechanism of Expression When Verbal Skills Fail I
by: Parentgiving

When Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia cause a loved one to lose the ability to speak, the lack of communication may become frustrating to the family members and, presumably, to the patient. Researchers have found that art can be used to give the patient a means of self-expression when verbal skills fail.

Through art therapy, or art psychotherapy, persons whose language skills have been impaired are still able to express their feelings through the language of images.

The person may generate these images through drawings and colorings, or through collages of images culled from magazines, or through constructs of colored or textured figures and shapes. Alternatively, the person may be encouraged to respond to a visual-art dialogue initiated by an art therapist, who may select or create the first image to start the nonverbal conversation.

“Verbal skills eventually fail in people with dementia. Researchers believe art therapy can help patients express themselves when this happens.”

Art therapy operates on the premise that each individual uses color, line, and shape in a manner closely linked to his or her unique self. Individual personality is expressed by arranging art materials in meaningful patterns unique to the creator.

Art therapist Elizabeth Cockey says art therapy can be used to improve quality of life both for patients with dementia and for those who care for them.

The whole brain is stimulated to work in the creative state, as the person tries to paint, construct, sculpt and in so many ways create art. Cockey says that even as art therapy stimulates the temporal lobe of the brain it also induces the use of motor skills as the person manipulates things with the hands.

The important thing to realize, though, is that there are two people involved -the patient and the person providing care, such as the family member. It is not a matter of giving the patient some paint and paper and then leaving the room. It is a matter of staying with the patient and starting a conversation, albeit nonverbal.

By engaging in art projects with the dementia patient, family members and close friends can establish a connection with the loved one.

Participating in visual art experiences can be beneficial, as well, to those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. A number of museums have set up special programs for these individuals and their caregivers.

While Alzheimer’s and dementia ravage the portions of the brain that have to do with memory and planning complex tasks, the portions of the brain involved in emotion and in aesthetic appreciation remain
intact for much longer. It is theorized that looking at paintings and sculpture activates systems that are preserved and are widely connected with other cerebral areas, resulting in globally stimulating the brain.

Researchers have seen an amelioration of depressive symptoms , improved cognition and increased sociability among those participating in these programs.

FUN FACTS

• Researchers have seen an amelioration of depressive symptoms, improved cognition and increased sociability among those with dementia and Alzheimer’s participating in museum•based visual art programs.
  The portions of the brain involved in emotion and in aesthetic appreciation remain intact for much longer than those associated with memory, mathematical skills and planning of complex tasks.
• There is growing research evidence that points to the value of art therapy for those growing older in general, and the possibility that the aging brain becomes more creative than it may have been in younger years.

Publshed on Aug 31, 2014

2015 Sound Options, Inc.

Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive related disorders aren’t always the natural consequences of ageing and definitely not always the result of simply contracting an infection. It is a true disease; which means, through research and testing, scientist are finding ways to identify the cause(s) and develop treatments and prevention programs. Increased efforts in the research of the causes and triggers of various cognitive diseases have resulted in identifying measures that are able to not only slow the progress of cognitive deterioration, but in some cases preventing the deterioration as well. There are hopeful results springing up to assist the up and coming baby boomer generation as they face their fears and concerns about dementia.

Key Component Found to Slow the Progress of Cognitive Disorders

Regularly challenging yourself with mental exercises and new activities keeps your mind running on all four cylinders.

• Adults who frequently engage in mentally stimulating activities are 63% less likely to develop dementia than those who rarely do such activities, a New England Journal of Medicine study discovered.
• A University of Michigan study found that adults who play a mentally challenging game every day for several weeks can dramatically improve their memory.
• Another University of Michigan study found that regularly participating in brain stimulating activities, eating “brain smartn foods and exercising can boost your brain power by up to 78%.

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.

A Diet Might Cut the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s

Researchers spent two years developing the MIND diet, which includes many brain-healthy foods like berries and greens.

The MIND diet was developed by researchers al Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, whose recent study found that certain foods could help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Sumalhi Reddy
The Wall Street Journal Sumathi.Reddy@wsj.com

Researchers successfully tested a special diet they designed that appears to reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The study compared the so-called MIND diet with the popular, heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which is intended to help control high blood pressure. The MIND diet borrows significantly from the other two, and all are largely plant-based and low in high-fat foods. But the MIND diet places particular emphasis on eating brain-healthy” foods such as green leafy vegetables and berries, among other recommendations.

The study, conducted by researchers at Rush University Medical Center In Chicago, found strict adherence to any of the three diets lessened the chances of getting Alzheimer’s. But only the MIND diet seemed to help counter the disease even when people followed only some of the diet’s recommendations The research was observational, not randomized or controlled and therefore isn’t evidence the MIND diet caused a reduced risk for Alzheimer”s.Instead, the research shows there is an association between the two.

The MIND diet combines clements of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which aims to reduce high blood pressure. The MIND diet also includes ‘brain-healthy’ food’ such as lots of green leafy vegetables, blueberries and nuts. A study found adhering strictly to any of the three diets lowered the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. But only the MIND diet had significant benefits even with moderate adherence.

The study is part of a small body of research investigating how nutrition can improve brain health and stave off the cognitive decline and memory impairment that comes with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Experts say there is growing awareness that lifestyle factors-not just genetics-play a prominent role in the development of Alzheimer’s, and researchers hope to come up with an optimal diet that will lessen the chances or developing the disease. An estimated 5.1 million people in the U S. have Alzheimer’s, a number expected to grow to 7.1 million by 2025, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“It’s a relatively new field compared with heart disease and diabetes and nutrition,” said Martha Clare Morris, a professor of neurological epidemiology at Rush “As we learn more and more I think we would definitely modify or update the [MIND] diet based on the latest research,” said Dr. Morris. who was first author of the study, published recently in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

The MIND diet, which took two years to develop. stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. Researchers modified the Mediterranean and DASH diets based on evidence from animal and human studies looking at nutrition and the brain. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

The MIND diet has 15 dielary components

• Green leafy vegetables
• Other vegetables
• Nuts
• Berries
• Beans
• Whole grains
• Fish
• Poultry
• Olive oil
• Wine

The five unhealthy groups are

• Red meats
• Butter and stick margarine
• Cheese
• Pastries and sweets
• Fried or fast food

The MIND diet includes at least three servings of whole grains, a salad and one other vegetable every day-along with a glass of wine. It also involves snacking most days on nuts and eating beans every other day or so, poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. Dieters must limit eating the designated unhealthy foods, especially butter (less than 1 tablespoon a day), cheese, and fried or fast food (less than a serving a week for any of the three), to have a real shot at avoiding the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s, according to a study by Rush University Medical Center researchers.

Source: Rush University

For example, fruits, a common recommendation in heart-healthy diets, haven’t been shown to slow cognitive decline or prevent dementia. but berries, and especially blueberries, have, Dr. Morris said. The MIND diet calls for eating berries at least two times a week and doesn’t include recommendations for other types of fruit. Research also has shown that green leafy vegetables protect the brain more than other vegetables. The MIND diet includes one serving or greens in addition to eating one or more other vegetables a day The MIND diet is heavy on nuts and beans, whole grains and olive oil and recommends a glass of wine a day, all of which also are recommended by one or both of the other diets.

The study involved 923 participants who didn’t have dementia at the start of the research. Their ages ranged from 58 to 96, with a median age of 81. Participants, who were followed on average for 4.5 years. were questioned annually on how often they ate from among 144 different food items. Subjects whose diet choices adhered closely to the MIND diet had a 53% reduced risk for developing Alzheimer’s. Risk was reduced by 54% with the Mediterranean diet and 39% with the DASH diet.

Significantly, even moderate adherence to the MIND diet helped lessen the risk for Alzheimer’s, by 35%. By comparison, moderate adherence to the Mediterranean or DASH diets didn’t affect the chances of getting the disease. That finding was particularly encouraging, because many people find it easier to follow just some or a diet’s recommendations “I think that will motivate people,” Dr.Morns said

The study controlled for genetic predisposition physical activity, cognitive activity and education A further analysis controlled for various chronic medical conditions. It was the first study published on the MIND diet, and researchers expect additional small changes to be made. Cocoa and caffeine, for example, could possibly be added to the diet with more research, Dr. Morris said.

The researchers also analyzed green leafy vegetables in relation to cognitive decline. Participants who ate one to two servings of green vegetables a day had a “dramatic decrease in the rate of cognitive decline” compared with people who ate fewer greens, said Dr. Morris. “It was about the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age,” she said.

“The MIND diet may be a triple bonus. It reduces the risk for dementia, strokes and heart disease,” said Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham N.C., and an Alzheimer’s expert. Dr. Doraiswamy, who wasn’t involved in the MIND diet study, said a randomized controlled study is needed to determine if the diet really reduces dementia risk, and whether combining it with lifestyle interventions like exercise and meditation could provide additional benefits.

A Swedish study is investigating lifestyle’s effect on developing dementia. Finger, for Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability is a randomized controlled study with 1,260 at-risk participants ages 60 to 77. Subjects assigned to an intervention group were given a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, an exercise program, cognitive training and management of metabolic and vascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. said Miia Kivipello, senior geriatrician at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. A control group was given general health advice.

“Our hypothesis was that maybe we need to target all these different risk factors simultaneously to get the optimal effect of the intervention,” Dr Kivipello said.

Initial results, based on the study’s first two years, were published recently in the Lancet. The researchers found the Intervention had clear benefits in areas including memory function and processing speed. The control group had a 30% higher risk for cognitive impairment, said Dr Kivipello, senior author of the study.

The next step is to separate out the effects of different lifestyle interventions and see how interventions may affect people depending on genetic makeup, she said. For example, there is evidence that people with a certain variation of the apoe4 gene-a risk factor for developing dementia-are more vulnerable to unhealthy diets . Data from the Finger study could indicate whether such people might especially benefit from a healthy diet

Suzanne Crart, a professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., also studies the effects of diet on Alzheimer’s disease symptoms in a 2011 randomized controlled study published in the Archives of Neurology, Dr. Crart and colleagues assigned about half of 50 older people to a Western diet relatively high in saturated fat and sugar for a month. The other hair followed a more heart-healthy diet with the same number or calories. Meals were delivered 10 the participants.

An analysis of the participants’ spinal fluids found that the Western diet increased in inflammation and levels of bela-amyloid proteins, which play a role in the development or Alzheimer’s “If you think of the impact of eating with these kinds or patterns over years and years, it’s not hard to see how diet can have a profound effect on your risk for Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Craft.

A follow-up study currently under way, involving 80 people age 45 to 65 years old, is comparing the diets’ effects on blood now in the brain. The researchers are checking for biomarkers that might indicate early changes that raise a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s “If we can identify these really early markers they may turn out to be therapeutic targets or good markers of vulnerability,” she said.Fatty Fish

Seafood like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, powerful and versatile nutrients that are essential for a healthy mind. About 40% of the fatty acids in brain cell membranes are DHA, one of the main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Experts believe it’s probably necessary for transmitting signals between brain cells.

Researchers at Tufts University found that people who ate fish 3 times a week and had the highest levels of DHA in their blood slashed their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 39%.

Eat it: At least twice a week (limit albacore tuna to no more than 6 ounces a week to minimize mercury exposure).

Leafy Green and Cruciferous Veggies
Pile salads,stir-fries, and side dishes with broccoli,cauliflower, cabbage,kale, bok choy, and brussels sprouts. They’re filled with antioxidants like vitamin C and plant compounds called carotenoids,which are particularly powerful brain protectors.

Antioxidants prevent damage from free radicals, which are waste products your body makes when cells use fuel to create energy. Your brain is especially vulnerable to damage from free radicals because it uses a lot of fuel (it’s only about 3% of your body weight but uses up to 17% of your energy).Since your mind makes a lot of these toxic by-products, ample antioxidants help to disarm and defuse them.

While all antioxidants (from a variety of plants) are good for your brain,these cruciferous veggies are especially effective. A Harvard Medical School study of more than 13,000 women found that those who ate the most lowered their brain age by 1 to 2 years.

Eat it: Daily, as part of a well-rounded mix of other colorful veggies.

Avocado,Oils, Nuts, and Seeds

They all contain another important antioxidant: vitamin E. n one study, researchers found that people who consumed moderate amounts vitamin E-from food, not supplements-lowered their risk of AD by 67%.

Eat it: Frequently; shoot for 15 mg of E a day, the equivalent of 2 ounces of almonds.

Chocolate
Sweeten your brain-boosting diet with the dark kind (at least 70% cocoa); it contains flavonoids, another class of antioxidants that some research links to brain health. Other flavonoid-rich foods include apples,red and purple grapes, red wine, onions, tea, and beer.

Eat it: Frequently, as part of a healthy total calorie intake. Up to half an ounce daily has also been shown to lower blood pressure.

Berries

Research indicates these antioxidant powerhouses may protect your brain, although the mechanism isn’t fully understood. Some scientists think they help to build healthy connections between brain cells.

Eat them: Daily, added to yogurt,oatmeal,or cereal for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Whole grains

Fiber-rich oatmeal,oat bran,brown rice, and so on help stabilize blood glucose (sugar) levels, compared with refined carbs like white bread and sugary foods. Your body digests these simple sugars quickly, so you have a sudden energy spike-and subsequent plummet. Since glucose is the brain’s main source of fuel,it’s important to keep levels steady; during a crash, you’ll feel tired and crabby and have trouble concentrating.

Eat them: Daily, aiming for 25 grams of fiber; fruits, vegetables,and beans are other good sources.

Water

Every cell in your body needs water to thrive, and your brain cells are no exception; in fact, about three-quarters of your brain is water. A small Ohio University study found that people whose bodies were well hydrated scored significantly better on tests of brainpower, compared with those who weren’t drinking enough.

Drink it: Throughout the day; aim to sip 6 to 8 glasses total.

Alcohol (in moderation)

While chronic, heavy drinking can cause serious dementia, research shows that imbibing lightly may protect the brain. In one JAMA study, people who had one to six drinks a week were 54% less likely to develop dementia than teetotalers. Experts aren’t sure why, but some doctors point out that moderate drinkers have reduced rates of heart disease, too. Small amounts of alcohol may protect both the heart and brain by preventing blockages in blood vessels.

Drink it: Once a day or less-and have no more than one drink. f you have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your doctor

Coffee

Caffeine is another substance wherein the dose makes the poison: In excess, it can cause brain fog, but in moderate amounts, caffeine can improve attention span, reaction time, and other brain skills. One French study found that women over 65 who drank three or more cups of coffee a day were better able to recall words than women who consumed little or none. Another review showed that coffee drinkers may cut AD risk by up to 30%.

Drink it: Daily, limiting caffeine intake to 300 to 400 mg; an 8-ounce cup of coffee has around 100 mg.

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.

To Harness Neuroplasticity, Start with Enthusiasm
By: Dr. Helena Popovic

We are the architects and builders of our own brains.

For millennia, however, we were oblivious to our enormous creative capabilities. We had no idea that our brains were changing in response to our actions and attitudes, every day of our lives. So we unconsciously and randomly shaped our brains and our latter years because we believed we had an immutable brain that was at the mercy of our genes.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The human brain is continually altering its structure, cell number, circuitry and chemistry as a direct result of everything we do, experience, think and believe. This is called “neuroplasticity”. Neuroplasticity comes from two words: neuron or nerve cell and plastic, meaning mal­leable or able to be molded.

The implications of neuroplasticity are enormous: we have the ability to keep our brains sharp, effective and capable of learning new skills well into our 90s, if we protect our brains from dam­aging habits and give them ongoing stimulation and appropriate fuel. One way to illustrate this is to think of the brain and mind as a large boat, complete with captain and crew, sailing the ocean blue.

The captain makes the decisions and gives the orders, which the loyal crew follow. Without a captain, the boat would be directionless. Without a crew, the day-to-day running of the boat would be impossible. The crew know their role and don’t need the captain to tell them how to do their job or to remind them of their job on a daily basis. They’re very well trained. The captain only notifies the crew if he or she wants something to change and takes charge whenever leader­ ship is required. As for the boat, it needs to be kept in good nick and fueled on a regular basis.

The captain, the crew and the boat form a single, interdependent unit, each party influencing the other two. If the captain and crew don’t do their job properly, the boat can get damaged and end up in disrepair. If the boat is damaged, the journey is more arduous; in particular, rough seas are more difficult to handle. If the captain is apathetic, incompetent or drunk, there is an absence of leadership. And if the captain and crew are in constant disagreement, they won’t get very far.

How does this relate to the brain and mind? The captain represents the conscious mind; the crew represent the subconscious mind; the boat is the brain; and the ocean is life.

The conscious mind is the thinking part of ourselves. It sets goals, makes decisions and interprets experiences. The subconscious mind is the part of ourselves beneath our conscious awareness that keeps us alive and running. It’s what keeps our hearts pumping, our lungs expanding and our hair growing. We don’t consciously say to ourselves, “Pump, breathe, grow!”-these things are handled subconsciously, through the autonomic nervous system. The number one priority of the subconscious mind is our survival: physical, emotional and psychological. This is why our sub ­conscious plays a powerful role in dictating behaviour. It prioritises our emotional wellbeing over our conscious wants. It’s why sometimes we consciously think we want one thing, but still end up doing another. One reason that diets don’t work is they don’t address subconscious issues that may be at play. We always sabotage our efforts if the subconscious pay-offs for not chang­ ing override the conscious desire to lose weight. Finally, the brain is the vessel through which our conscious and subconscious minds operate.

Based on the analogy of boat, captain and crew, the following is an overview of how we can boost our brains.

1. Don’t damage the boat.
On day one in medical school, I was taught Primum non nocere-“First do no harm”. No boat owner would knowingly damage their boat, so it follows that no human would knowingly dam­age his brain. Apart from the obvious injury caused by falling off ladders and falling into illegal drugs, things which harm the brain and reduce our cognitive abilities include smoking, stress, sleep deprivation, soft drinks, sedentary lifestyles, excessive alcohol, junk food, high blood pres­sure, high cholesterol levels, obesity, loneliness, pessimism and negative self-talk. Goal number one is to avoid these damaging entities.

2. Dock the boat in stimulating surroundings.
Our brain function improves in every measurable way when we find ourselves in environments that are mentally, physically and socially stimulating. Adventure prevents dementia!

3. Fuel it the finest.
Our dietary choices affect not only the health of our bodies but also the health of our brains. In fact our brains consume one fifth of all the nutrients and kilojoules we ingest. What we eat has a significant impact on our neurotransmitters (chemicals that carry messages between neurons across synapses), our alertness, our mood and our cognitive functioning.

4. Keep the cargo light.
Obesity is a major risk factor for dementia.

5. Run the motor.
Without physical exercise our brains waste away as much as our muscles waste away. Exercise actually induces the growth of new brain cells.

6. Learn the ropes and keep on learning.
Having a good education and engaging in lifelong, active learning help to protect us from dementia and contribute to our developing “cognitive reserve”. This reserve acts as a buffer against mental decline as we age.

7. Sail to new shores.
Boredom and monotony are poisonous to our brains. We need to get out there, get exploring and get out of our comfort zones. We need to sail to new shores to find riches outside our usual boundaries. We need to change our routines, do things differently and give ourselves ongoing challenges.

8. Use it or lose it.
This applies to every function of the brain and body, from studying to socialising to sex. In order to maintain our capacity for learning new skills, we need to engage in learning new skills on a regular basis. In order to become creative, inventive and resourceful, we need to give ourselves tasks that require creativity, inventiveness and resourcefulness. In order to have a good memory, we need to make a conscious effort to pay attention. In order to remain socially adept, we need to remain socially active.

9. Train it and regain it.
If we lose a specific brain function, all is not lost. Progressive, persistent, goal-focused practice can help us regain the lost function.

10. Charge the battery.
Stilling the mind is as important as stimulating the mind. Getting adequate sleep and pressing the pause button on our mind chatter are essential for peak performance on a day-to-day basis, as well as preservation of brain function as we age.

11. Connect with fellow travelers.
Lifelong social interaction and meaningful connection with others is vital for a healthy brain.

12. Choose the destination.
The brain is a teleological device-it is fed by having goals to strive for and aspirations to work towards. The clearer we are about where we want to go and what we want to achieve, the more effective the brain is in accomplishing the required tasks. This is analogous to the captain giving the crew clear instructions about where they’re going and what is expected of them.

13. Command the crew.
Having decided on what we want, we need to direct our self-talk to support our goals.Our inter­nal dialogue is a constant stream of instructions to the subconscious mind. Uplifting, solution­ focused self-talk switches on brain cell activity; negative, discouraging self-talk dampens it.

14. Communicate gratitude.
When we think about what we’re thankful for, we wire our brains to continue finding things to be thankful for. Our brains are designed so that we see whatever we’re looking for. We are never objective, even when we make a concerted effort to be so. Subjectivity always enters our percep­tions. We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are. Therefore, by regularly reflecting on things that we’re grateful for, we construct a filter through which we see the world and we create more experiences for which to feel grateful.

15. Practise perfectly.
When we practise a skill in our imaginations, the same neurons are firing as if we were perform­ing the skill in real life! If we see ourselves executing a task perfectly in the mind’s eye, we become better at it in the real world because every mental rehearsal increases the efficiency of electrical transmissions between the involved nerve cells. Mental practice turbocharges our progress.

16. Bon voyage!
Enjoy the journey! Get excited about where you’re going. Passion, enthusiasm and excitement are the most powerful brain fuels of all. The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek entheos, meaning “to be divinely inspired or possessed by a god”.

Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, “Nothing great has ever been achieved without enthusiasm.”

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.