02/16/2010 - 12:43pm

Love on the Brain – A post Valentine’s Day thought

As Hollywood, romance novels, and even our personal experiences sometimes attest, it seems that love can either turn our brains to mush or it can conquer all. So what does the scientific evidence say about the effects of love on our brain fitness and health?

10/29/2009 - 3:49pm

Sometimes, Sugar Might Be Good For You

We all know by now that sugar is generally not a good thing for our bodies- empty calories, diabetes, bad for your teeth- there is not much to be said for sugar...until now.

Prof. Roy Baumeister, in his psychology lab at Florida State University in Tallahassee, asked subjects to perform a mentally taxing task (watching video while being careful to ignore random words scrolling across the bottom of the screen).

10/27/2009 - 12:08pm

Scientists Find Way to Reverse Insomnia-Induced Cognitive Impairment

Sleep deprivation affects cognitive function and learning and memory are the cognitive functions most affected by lack of sleep. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a molecular pathway in the brain that causes the cognitive impairment due to insomnia. They have also found that by reducing the concentration of a specific enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus, they can reduce the inability to focus, learn or memorize that is symptomatic of sleep deprivation.

10/26/2009 - 11:38am

Brain Trauma and Amateur Athletes

Recent news items have brought to light the increased incidence of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related diseases in retired professional football players. The high incidence of brain disorders and cognitive decline is thought to be caused by the many head traumas professional football players receive during their careers.

10/26/2009 - 9:38am

Music and the Brain

Several interesting studies about Music and the Brain were presented at the 158th Acoustical Society of America meeting that was held in San Antonio in October.

Music Can Train the Brain

One study of the brain’s electrical and magnetic signals showed that musical training changes the auditory cortex-the part of the brain where the processing of sound takes place.

10/19/2009 - 3:04pm

Different Types of Learning at a Molecular Level

A study conducted at the Montreal neurological institute and Hospital of McGill University has shown that training that occurs over time differs from training that takes place at short intervals and creates different types of memory.

Memory is very sensitive to not only the amount of training but also the pattern or frequency of training as well. It was found that training that was widely spaced generated long-term memory while intense training presented at short intervals generated short term memory.

10/19/2009 - 10:59am

Harvard Hockey Team First to Use New Type of Helmet to Reduce Concussions

Ice hockey is another sport where players suffer concussions on a regular basis. The NFL has already produced a study that showed how ex-NFL players suffer from a higher percentage of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related disease than does the regular population. It is thought that concussions and continuous hits to the head cause cognitive problems in later years.

Harvard’s equipment manager, John O’Donnell has purchased a new type of helmet for the Harvard Hockey Team to help reduce the number of head injuries, to make the game safer and to keep players off the bench and in the game.

10/18/2009 - 4:42pm

Pet Dementia: Older Dogs and Cats Can Get Dementia Too

According to Dr. Shawn Messonnier, a holistic vet who has written a new book, Unexpected Miracles (Forge Books), millions of older dogs and cats are affected by dementia.

The signs of canine and cat dementia, according to Messonnier, could be deafness, lethargy, excess sleep, house-training problems, string at the wall, occasionally not recognizing its owner and in a general lack of awareness of its surroundings.

10/05/2009 - 2:53pm

Surrealism for Sharper Thinking

Psychologists at the University of California in Santa Barbara and the University of British Columbia have shown that when subjects are exposed to surrealistic stories the cognitive mechanisms involved in learning are enhanced.

10/05/2009 - 2:47pm

NFL Players Have a Higher Risk for Alzheimer's

 A study by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, that was commissioned by the National Football League has found that NFL players are 19 times more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other memory-related diseases than the rest of the population.

Hundreds of on field concussions happen every week in high school, college and pro games. Many of these concussions go undiagnosed and untreated. The brain trauma associated with the concussions may be a contributing factor to the high rate of memory-related diseases.