Here is a recent study out of Princeton University that tries to link sleep and brain cells.

“Losing sleep may cause the brain to stop producing new brain cells, a study conducted by New Jersey’s Princeton University has found”

To read more click here

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have assessed loneliness and dementia. 

“In human beings, loneliness has been associated with impaired social skills. Thus, neural systems underlying social behavior might be less elaborated in lonely persons and, as a result, be less able to compensate for other neural systems compromised by age-related neuropathy,”

Click here to read the full artice.

We found this post that mentions Dr. Paul Nussbaum’s approach to brain health. Dr. Nussbaum does a great job of communicating the importance of a fit brain to the public

Dr. Nussbaum says that a healthy lifestyle characterized by socialization, physical activity, mental activity, spirituality, and nutrition leads to improved brain health. Individuals should reduce their caloric intake to 80% of what they intend to consume at each meal because overeating and obesity do not contribute to brain health.

You can read more here

Another study showing the impact of learning on our brains.

“These remarkable findings suggest stimulating the mind with activities such as reading books or completing crossword puzzles may help delay and/or prevent Alzheimer’s disease in senior citizens.”

The full piece can be read here

Here is another study on the benefits of studying another language.

“If you have two languages in your brain, you need a way to keep them straight, otherwise you might say the wrong thing,” she said. It’s one of the things that often goes wrong with people suffering from dementia. They can no longer control their speech.The frontal lobes, which control planning and other high-level functions, are also used in language. Research has found exercising that part of the brain can help build up a “cognitive reserve,” which can stave off dementia.”

To read more from this specific article, click here

Here is an article by Dr. Rallie McAllister on the positives of coffee.

“Coffee may have even greater benefits on the human brain, protecting it from degenerative disorders that lead to dementia. Recent studies suggest that habitual coffee drinkers have a lower risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease than individuals who abstain”

Read the full artcle here

The Alliance for Aging Research is encouraging Americans to boost their brain health.

“There is a lot we can do to keep our brains healthy and potentially prevent or lessen the cognitive decline that often comes with aging,” Daniel Perry, executive director of the nonprofit Alliance for Aging Research”

You can see the full article here

Here is some more progress in the ability to detect Alzheimer’s earlier on.

“We urgently need techniques to see brain changes in the earliest stages of cognitive decline so that we can identify people at risk…”

The full article can be read here

Here is another report that links exercise and the brain.

“Physical activity may be beneficial to cognition during early and middle periods of the human lifespan and may continue to protect against age-related loss of cognitive function during older adulthood”.

You can see this story in full here 

Here is a great new study that supports what we are doing at Happy Neuron.

Certain mental exercises can offset some of the expected decline in older adults’ thinking skills and show promise for maintaining cognitive abilities needed to do everyday tasks such as shopping, making meals and handling finances, according to a new study.

You can read the complete article here