Archive for December, 2009
A Suggested New Year’s Resolution: Improve A Random Senior’s Brain Fitness!
New Year’s Resolutions are often very self-centric; they’re about us losing weight, quitting smoking, improving our own health, finances, and so on. I almost followed that trend, and made this post about resolving to improve our own brain fitness, but then… I thought of a better way.
Why not resolve to improve someone ELSE’S brain fitness?
Pick a Senior, any Senior (or heck, a whole group of Seniors!) and spend time over the next year educating them about the importance of brain fitness, and, perhaps, providing them with products, encouragement and activities to improve the health of their own brains.
And it doesn’t really need to be a random Senior’s brain fitness that you improve. Maybe it’s your Great Aunt Martha, the elderly neighbor you wave to each morning, your child’s favorite teacher who just retired, or that silver haired gentleman who signs you in at the local community center.
One hint: the less emotionally connected to someone you are, the more likely you are to be amused if they don’t quite understand, and the less likely you are to get frustrated with them. But I totally understand the desire to see Great Aunt Martha stay sharp-witted and bright, so you can certainly pick her, if you like. Shucks, you can pick MY Great Aunt Martha, if you really want to! (more…)
Serving Your Community: Another Path To Brain Fitness?
Seniors are frequent beneficiaries of volunteer organizations, from groups like Meals on Wheels, to home visitation programs.
But new research suggests new ways that older adults can benefit from the other side of volunteer efforts: offering their help to others through volunteer programs may help preserve and improve their cognitive function, and ward off mental declines.
So what’s this research?
12 Days of Brain Fitness Christmas
Forgive me this little indulgence… It’s Christmas Eve, and I couldn’t resist. Feel free to sing along, and/or throw things at me. Ahem!
On the first day of Brain Fitness
My true love gave to me,
Brain training For neuro-plasticity!
On the second day of Brain Fitness
My true love gave to me,
Two power naps,
And brain training for neuro-plasticity! (more…)
Chemo-Brain: How Cancer Treatments Interfere With Cognitive Function
For years, cancer patients have complained about “chemo-brain”: a mental fog that seemed to start with their chemotherapy treatments, the effects of which can last long after treatments had stopped – for weeks, months, or even years.
The medical community has been slow to recognize these effects, believing any mental difficulties were due to other known side effects, and issues like depression, anemia, and so on.
But recent studies have not only confirmed that the mental fog associated with chemotherapy is real, but even revealed at least part of how the brain-fog occurs: commonly used treatments seem to prevent the development of new brain-cells – in one case, reducing regeneration in the brain by as much as 30%!
Understanding the impact means accepting the new realities of neuroscience… that adult brains are not (as previously believed) concrete and fixed, but constantly renewing and rewiring themselves through. When we interfere with the process of renewal, our mental functions suffer – it’s harder to learn new things, store and retrieve new memories, focus on tasks and maintain a stable mood.
What does this mean in practical terms, for helping cancer patients deal with the brain fog of chemo?
It’s too early in the research to know for sure, but treatment with an insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) shows promise in reversing the problem.
And though the existing studies don’t reference the idea (and this is pure speculation on my part!) it seems possible that tactics of brain-fitness might minimize or slow the negative-effects of chemo on the brain both before, during and after treatments. Physical and mental activity, a healthy diet, lower stress levels and adequate sleep (among other things) normally help the brain to build a cognitive reserve that might be drawn on during the stress of chemo, or they might simply help the brain recover more quickly.
Because of debilitating side effects of chemo, patients are often inactive, unable to participate in their normal intellectual and social activities, are unable to eat much, are almost universally stressed. Could efforts to stay more physically or mentally active reduce the cognitive struggles, or help patients recover more quickly? It will be interesting to watch as this research develops further, but if I had to guess, I’d think that the more fit your brain is, the better able you’ll be to maintain your cognitive functions in the face of nearly any health challenges, whether it’s normal age-related declines, Alzheimer’s, brain injuries, or, perhaps… chemo-brain.
So if you or someone you love has gone through cancer treatments, and you’re noticing a difference in mental state, memory or focus, don’t assume it’s just advanced age or hopeless. Talk to your doctor, then go on a brain-fitness quest to give your brain an extra boost towards recovery!
For The Sake Of Your Brain: Fight Holiday Depression
Ok, I’m setting down the wrapping paper, bows and ornaments for a minute, and addressing a problem for many people (and especially seniors) this time of year.
During the holidays, depression rates rise significantly, and depression is a major drain on cognitive function. The more blue you feel, the less effective your brain is… and if a seasonal funk becomes longer term, it has serious implications for the health of your brain. Even short term depression can be responsible for problems with memory, concentration, focus and decision making. Long term depression is associated with an actual reduction in brain size, with implications of increased risks for dementia and Alzheimer’s. symptoms.
So what can you do about it?
Origami Cranes: Exercise For Brains!
The Holidays can be mind-numbing — too little sleep, too much stress, poor dietary choices, and long established routines and traditions that fail to challenge 
the brain. At least that’s how things go in my family, and most families I know of.
So I’m being a bit obsessive this year about introducing a bit of brain fitness into the mix. Today’s contribution? Using Origami ( the Japanese art of paper folding) to make holiday ornaments. Learning Origami can improve cognitive functions (especially visual-spatial and motor skills) and create a wealth of new neural connections in the brain. It’s good excercise, really!
Available patterns range from very simple to advanced, so nearly anyone can participate at a level that challenges them. That range of difficulty is crucial for brain-boosting activities, because they must be challenging, but not *too* challenging.
What do you need?
Paper: You can buy special Origami paper in crafts stores, but any light weight paper will do for simple designs. Holiday wrapping paper works well for many Origami models. Traditional patterns will begin with a simple square, and don’t require scissors, glue, or any other supplies. Seriously, all you need is some paper, and a flat surface.
Simple, huh?
And About Those Patterns…
Holiday Gift Baskets for the Brain!
Feeling a bit stuck on your holiday shopping?
Why not become a Brain-Fitness Elf, and put together a holiday gift basket with a brain healthy theme? You’ll educate the lucky recipient about brain health & fitness, give them a practical (and yummy!) gift, and as an added benefit, reinforce your own understanding of the basic elements of brain fitness. Best of all, you can likely put one together within nearly any budget, on your regular trip to the grocery store!
Ready to get started? Just pick out an inexpensive basket, holiday box, stocking or large gift bag, and toss in a selection of items that teach about brain health.
Gift Basket #1: Brain Super-Foods
Neuroplasticity: What It Is & Why You Want It
Neuroplasticity: It’s a mouthful of a word, and one that gets tossed around a lot when discussing brain fitness. But what is it, and why does it matter so much?
The meaning of “Neuro” is pretty easy, it means it has to do with the nervous system – and in this case, specifically the brain. And in this case, “plasticity” doesn’t refer to a brain wrapped in Saranwrap, but rather to the properties of plastic – something that is moldable, changeable, flexible.
So neuroplasticity means the brain is not concrete and fixed, but flexible and changing. And although the idea was suggested over a hundred years ago, it’s only recently that it’s been taken seriously by the scientific community. Numerous tests and studies have demonstrated that adult brains continue to produce new brain cells and connections throughout life, turning a lot of assumptions about how the brain works upside down. (more…)
5 Ways to Destress Your Brain
While short bursts of stress can provide a quick (and temporary) boost to your cognitive function, ongoing, chronic stress takes a heavy toll on the brain. Modern life is full of stressful situations that can’t often be avoided, and today’s seniors deal with complications their parents didn’t face: traffic, health care complications, ever-ringing cell phones, and even raising their own grandchildren.
But there are lots of small ways to help reduce the effects of those stressors, and keep the risk to your mental functions at a minimum. Below, you’ll find just a few!
- De-Clutter
Physical clutter can create a feeling of being overwhelmed. it’s a constant reminder of things left un-done, and it scatters your attention. Even if you can’t de-clutter your entire living space, try and create one corner that’s clean and clear of distractions, somewhere you can go and not *see* things that are left to do. You’ll be surprised at how effective this one is! - Stay In The Now
Thinking too far ahead will clutter up your brain with future stresses, problems and tasks – it quickly becomes overwhelming. So try to stay in the moment of now, focusing on one task and one step at a time. It’s good to plan ahead, but don’t dwell on the future. Keep your attention on the here and now, and watch your stress melt away. - Set Boundaries
A lot of stressful situations can be avoided by setting healthy boundaries on what you allow into your life. If people are bringing stress into your life with their actions, comments, and expectations, it’s ok to decide you won’t allow that to happen anymore. Gently tell the people around you about your new boundaries, and even if they don’t change their actions, you may find that the act of declaring those limits may help you deal with the problems more effectively. - Put Down The Superman Cape
Yes, I know. You bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, feed it to the grandkids, and use the leftovers to make quiche for the weekly book club you organize. But you haven’t actually got superhero powers, and trying to live like you do can add significant stress to your life. it’s time to assess your expectations of yourself, let go of those perfectionist ideals, and know that it’s ok to be a mere mortal. - Get Physical
I know, I know, everyone nags you to exercise. But it is honestly one of the best ways you can help your body and brain destress. Physical activity is the natural outlet for the processes involved in stress-reactions, and just a 30 minute walk every few days can have significant impact on stress relief.
Have any of your own stress-reduction techniques and suggestions? Share them in the comments, and maybe we’ll come up with a part two for this article!
Sounds, Scents & Sleep: A Memory Boost?
Remember all of those old “Learn while you sleep!” programs, the ones that promised to fill your college-age mind with information via a instructional cassette tapes tucked under your pillow? Yeah, they didn’t work for me either. But according to some recent studies, there may actually be some effective ways to boost your memory and recall while asleep… and yes, one of them uses recorded sounds!
Here’s the deal.
The researchers took a smallish group of people, and had them learn the correct locations for 50 different images on a computer screen by moving them into place. Each image was also associated with a sound, like a bark for a dog, or the sound of waves for the ocean.
Then, the group took a nap.
