10/28/2009 - 3:15pm

Scientists Find How Brains Keep Track of Time

Keeping track of time and remembering things that happened in the past is one of the brain’s most important functions. A recent study has identified the neurons in primate brains that code time.

Neuroscientists have theorized that the brain “time stamps” events as they happen, allowing us to keep track of where we are and when past events occurred. Scientists were not able to find evidence that such time stamps existed. But a study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has now found that missing evidence.

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.

10/05/2009 - 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.

09/17/2009 - 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.

08/06/2009 - 9:24am

Statins and Dementia

My doctor once said (jokingly- I think) that she thought statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) should be put into the drinking water system, as fluoride is. These types of drugs are so universally prescribed, so prevalent and so effective that why shouldn’t everyone take them?

Besides their cholesterol lowering properties, it was also thought that statins had a part in preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia, although no research was done to uphold this claim.

12/10/2008 - 2:52am

The Best Time to Start Brain Training

Many people wonder if there is an optimal age to begin brain fitness training.

I think that it’s never too early to start a brain fitness program. It is better to be proactive than reactive, and you don't have to wait for the first signs of age-related cognitive decline in order to start your mental workouts.