In a study using mice, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), researchers demonstrated that the space between brain cells may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours. Almost every neurodegenerative disease- including Alzheimer’s- is associated with the buildup of toxic proteins… Continue reading →
This blog post will discuss the benefits of sleep and the costs to health and productivity of insufficient sleep. The second part, coming later this month, will offer suggestions for getting more and better sleep. How many hours of sleep do you get per night? Most adults require seven or eight hours. Thirty percent of… Continue reading →
A concern of both older and younger people is when to stop driving; older adults fear the loss of independence that comes with relinquishing a driver’s license, but their children and others fear the increased risk of accidents from slowdowns in mental processing and reaction time that accompany aging. Researcher Jerri Edwards, an associate professor… Continue reading →
I am so excited to announce that my BE! Brain Enrichment Course is in print and available to be purchased by organizations and communities who would like to offer the course to their members and residents. I developed this course to help people learn about brain health while engaging in interactive exercises to stimulate their… Continue reading →
How many people in the United States live to be 100? According to census data, just 55,000 Americans reach 100; that’s .02% of us. Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones (2008), along with anthropologists, demographers, epidemiologists and other researchers, identified five communities in the world with a disproportionate number of centenarians: Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa,… Continue reading →
A study conducted in Australia found that employees who walked 10,000 steps daily and also worked out in the gym three times a week were more productive on the job. Forty employees at the Melbourne branch of a large software company were given pedometers. One group was tasked with attaining a goal of walking 10,000… Continue reading →
According to the World Health Organization, up to 360 million people in the world have impaired hearing. About 33% Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 and 47% of those 75 and older have hearing loss. People with hearing loss find it difficult to talk with others, and may not enjoy participating in social… Continue reading →
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? This question, attributed to Satchel Paige, was mentioned in several of the sessions I attended this week at the American Society on Aging’s Aging in America Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago. The message underlying many presentations is that… Continue reading →
A recent study in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics (2013, Volume 56) by M.R. Olchik et al. reports on a randomized controlled experiment conducted with people aged 60 and older. Some of the participants had memory complaints and others did not, but none showed decline in IADLs (instrumental activities of daily living). Through cognitive… Continue reading →
Memory is the thing you forget with. Alexander Chase Can you draw a penny, front and back, including correct placement of the eight critical features? If not, is this an example of forgetting? The experience of not being able to recall something (a person’s name, a fact, an event) may be attributed to a variety… Continue reading →