All posts in "Brain"

Exercise can make you smarter

A 4 month Montreal study of overweight middle aged people found high intensity interval training had some exciting benefits.

Stem cells boost heart’s natural repair mechanisms

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have conducted both animal trials and experimental procedures using stem cells to regenerate heart tissue and reduce scarring after heart attacks.

New high fructose brain danger

Apparently we already know high-fructose corn syrup makes you eat and crave more by interfering with the hunger hormones grehlin (want more) and leptin (had enough). This article explains how HFCS also makes you hungrier the more you eat it by affecting the reward centers in the brain. It also discusses some of the other […]

Exercise can slow Alzheimer’s

Two separate studies, one from the University of Nottingham and the other from the University of Lisbon have come to similar conclusions about the importance of exercise for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline.

Poor sleep in old age prevents the brain from storing memories

Scientists have found a link between a poor quality “slow wave sleep” and memory loss in older adults. The researchers at the University of California found deep slow wave sleep was not only restorative, but played a key role in moving memories from short term to long term memory.

Oxygen can boost brain repair

This really inspiring article from Science Daily talks about the results of a Tel Aviv University study into post stroke victim’s dramatic improvements using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Apparently many brain disorders are related to insufficient energy.

Blood Pressure and Accelerated Brain Aging

According to this article in Brain Blogger, less than 60% of people with high blood pressure or hypertension get treatment for their condition. It also shows a darn good reason to control/lower blood pressure if we want to avoid premature aging.

Can Doodling Improve Memory and Concentration?

Professor Jackie Andrade at the University of Plymouth tested out the theory that doodling could improve attention and memory (by 30%) in certain circumstances (like listening to a long boring meeting).

Reducing Amyloid Beta Levels in Alzheimer’s

The brains of Alzheimer patients produce a toxic substance called amyloid beta which forms plaque deposits. The sufferers brain’s natural defender cells are unable to eliminate the amyloid substance.

Does an Aging Brain Make You More Prone to Scams?

2 UCLA studies found older adults were less able than younger people to recognize facial cues that indicated untrustworthiness. It did not find any difference in their ability to recognize trustworthy or neutral expressions. Which says to me this is not about “cognitive decline”, but rather a kind of cooling of anxiety perhaps. Or maybe […]