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.

10/19/2009 - 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 - 2:47pm

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.

09/24/2009 - 11:52am

Chemotherapy Affects More Than Memory

Although chemotherapy saves the lives of millions of cancer patients each year, it takes a significant toll on the cognitive function and emotional lives of the survivors.

09/17/2009 - 1:58pm

Do Brains Shrink With Age?

Many scientists believed that as we age, our brains get smaller. But a new study has shown that “healthy” brains  show very little deterioration and that only when people experience cognitive decline is there significant shrinking of their brains.

The study was conducted at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and its results suggest that studies done until now simply did not exclude people who were already experiencing cognitive decline.

09/06/2009 - 12:37pm

Moderate Drinking May Actually Be Helpful to the Brain

According to an analysis of several studies that was published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, people over 60 who consume moderate amounts of alcohol have  reduced  risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
 
15 studies that followed more than 28,000 subjects for at least two years were analyzed for the publication. Male drinkers reduced their risk for dementia by 45 % as compared to non-drinkers and women by 27%.

08/27/2009 - 9:55am

Obesity and the Brain

It is known that obesity and overweight take their toll on our bodies- increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Now there is scientific evidence that obesity and even overweight have a detrimental effect on our brains as well. Recent research has shown that obese people have 8% less brain tissue than people who are of normal weight and overweight people 4%. The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than the brains of people who were lean, and overweight people’s brains looked 8 years older.

08/17/2009 - 3:13pm

Cognitive Skills and Left Turns: Senior drivers have asked why it is harder for them to make left turns

A study produced by the Center for Transportation Studies at the Texas Transportation Institute for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which examined data on crashes in Texas during the 1975-1999 period, found that the probability that an older driver will be involved in a left-turn crash increases with age.

According to U.S. department of transportation statistics for 1994 older adults were nine times more likely to be turning left when involved in an accident.