Category: mind

12/8/2014 - Can you improve brain health? Scientists weigh in

Is playing fun video games really the answer to the threat of Alzheimer’s? Many scientists think not. According to the Stanford Center on Longevity (SCL) and the Berlin Max Planck Institute for Human Development, there’s no reliable scientific evidence to support the notion that cognitive training can improve overall brain performance. Read the full article… Read more 12/8/2014 - Can you improve brain health? Scientists weigh in

12/5/2014 - Older women who exercise outdoors more likely to stick with it

Outdoor workouts left women in a better mood and kept them exercising longer than counterparts who exercised indoors, according to a small study from Canada. Read the full article at Reuters.

12/4/2014 - Why Elders Smile

When researchers ask people to assess their own well-being, people in their 20s rate themselves highly. Then there’s a decline as people get sadder in middle age, bottoming out around age 50. But then happiness levels shoot up, so that old people are happier than young people. The people who rate themselves most highly are… Read more 12/4/2014 - Why Elders Smile

12/4/2014 - Mental engagement may preserve health literacy in aging

Surfing the net, going to museums or joining a club might have an unexpected side effect: improving the ability of older people to understand drug labels and doctors’ instructions, according to a new study in the UK.  “We found that the effects of internet use and cultural activities, along with other social activities, including civic… Read more 12/4/2014 - Mental engagement may preserve health literacy in aging

11/2/2014 - Older Brains Learn Plenty, but Don't Filter

In a new study, older learners had retained the mental flexibility needed for a visual perception task but were not as good as younger people at filtering out irrelevant information. The findings undermine the conventional wisdom that the brains of older people lack flexibility, or “plasticity,” but highlight a different reason why learning may become… Read more 11/2/2014 - Older Brains Learn Plenty, but Don't Filter

11/30/2014 - Why Everything You Think About Aging May Be Wrong

Everyone knows that as we age, our minds and bodies decline—and life inevitably becomes less satisfying and enjoyable. Everyone knows that cognitive decline is inevitable. Everyone knows that as we get older, we become less productive at work. Everyone, it seems, is wrong. Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal.

11/24/2014 - Brain's dementia weak spot identified

The brain has a weak spot for Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia, according to UK scientists who have pinpointed the region using scans. Read the full article at BBC News.

11/17/2014 - The Real Roots of Midlife Crisis

What a growing body of research reveals about the biology of human happiness—and how to navigate the (temporary) slump in middle age Read the full article at The Atlantic.

11/12/2014 - New languages rewire brains of all ages

Learning a new language can change the function and structure of your brain network, say researchers. “Learning and practicing something, for instance a second language, strengthens the brain,” says Ping Li, professor of psychology, linguistics, and information sciences and technology at Penn State. Read the full article at Futurity.

11/6/2014 - Parkinson's stem cell 'breakthrough'

Stem cells can be used to heal the damage in the brain caused by Parkinson’s disease, according to scientists in Sweden. They said their study on rats heralded a “huge breakthrough” towards developing effective treatments. Read the full article at BBC News.