Brain decline has a profound impact on the life and relationships of people who develop it. “Being socially active, being an intellectually engaged individual, having recreational time, enjoying a good diet, lacking stress – these are all things that tend to help in avoiding dementia,” says Dr. Lawrence Whalley, author of The Aging Brain and psychiatrist and professor of mental health with the School of Medicine at Scotland’s University of Aberdeen.

How Social Activity Affects Dementia Risk

Studies show that having a fulfilling social life can significantly reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. A study in the February 2007 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry found that lonely people are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. The researchers tested 823 older people for loneliness and gave them a loneliness score of 1 (lowest) to 5. They found that for each point of increase in the loneliness score, the participants had a 51 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Another study, published by The Lancet Neurology, found that social networks (e.g., having close friends, staying in contact with family members) may help protect against the damaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease.  For this study, researchers collected information about the social networks of 89 elderly people. They also tested the participants’ cognition 21 times each year. After the participants died, the researchers analyzed their brains and found that the larger a person’s social network, the less effect tangles and plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease had on his or her cognitive test scores.

SOURCES:  Humana, Inc.; JAMA/Archives journals;  The Lancet Neurology; Department of Health and Human Services;  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; U.S Department of Health and Human Services

The 5th annual Games for Health Conference was held in Boston.  It was co-sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, from whom HAPPYneuron was a proud award recipient last year. I presented about enabling better tools for professionally guided Cognitive Remediation programs. The slides can be found here…..

Now, according to a study published on April 3 in the journal Science, researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health found more evidence that sleep resets the brain to allow more growth and learning the next day.  Read about their fascinating research here. So get a good night’s sleep - your brain will thank you for it.

Does brain health suffer during stressful economic times? How?
Generally speaking, stress does affect your cognitive capacity and ability. Memory performance decrease, it can become increasingly difficult to difficult to focus, etc.. In fact, when you are stressed out, a number of intrusive thoughts affects your working memory performance, and therefore, your ability to concentrate on even small things. The good news is that unlike the downward trend caused by neurodegenerative diseases, this is reversible as soon as the situation is back to normal. Taking proactive steps to manage areas where you have control is important to managing stress that can effect your brain health.

Will a fit brain guard against all the doom and gloom out there?
Yes. A fit brain will be able to deal easily with the small troubles of daily life, by organizing the activities and planning actions. Being able to rely on one’s brain is one trouble less! It must be remembered that the cognition is linked to the brain’s emotional circuit; therefore it all depends on the way each individual reacts in face of doom and gloom. As Schopenhauer used to say in  The World as Will and Representation ; “thus, being able to rely on a perfectly fit brain enables you to come to grips more easily with the various ups and downs that life throws at us.” In other words, even if you cannot change the world, you can change the way you look at it.

Sandrine Belier, Ph. D.

In March 2009 at the American Society on Aging Conference in Las Vegas, I look forward to presenting the results of a recent HAPPYneuron user study.  The study shows the cognitive improvements experienced by users after a playing series of online cognitive exercises over a period of 18 weeks.  Dr. Croisile presented the results the National Academy of Neuropsychology in October 2008 to significant interest of this peer group.

See you there if you are attending also….

As you may have seen, this week we announced a relationship with the French National Research Center and the Pierre & Marie Curie University (UPMC) at La Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital in Paris. The research program aims to measure the positive effects of HAPPYneuron‘s products on the cognitive rehabilitation of patients suffering from depression and Alzheimer’s disease. We are talking not just about preventative training activities to defer the onset of age related brain decline, but the actual regaining of cognitive function through rehabilitation. This is a very exciting prospect for so many who suffer from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

The team at the Pierre & Marie Curie University Hospital are indeed dedicated and committed to this project which we are very optimistic about the positive outcomes and we are excited to be working hand-in-hand with them.

A second objective of the collaboration is to develop distance therapy procedures that can be applied and used by practitioners in the rehabilitation of patients without the patient’s need too visit the doctor’s office in person. This will have huge implications for people located in rural areas and those that may be house bound or find it difficult to get to a doctor’s office for therapy. For the medical practitioner, the goal is to guide the patient’s therapy through phone interaction with the assistance of a cognitive informational dashboard to assess the patient’s compliance and progress.

Lastly, we expect to focus on further research on emotional rehabilitation.

We look forward to sharing the results of this research as it evolves.

Stress is the condition or feeling experienced when the demands pressing upon an individual exceed the personal coping skills and social resources he or she can mobilize. As we all know, stress plays a prominent role in our daily lives, generally evoking negative associations. Aside from being associated with heart disease, a weak immune system, headaches and sleepless nights, stress is also associated with mental health problems.

There is considerable evidence that cognitive performance changes when we are under stress. In the short term, acute stress can serve to enhance some types of mental functioning, an aspect of the “Flight or Fight” scenario posed by William James over 100 years ago. However, unrelieved chronic stress can produce deleterious cognitive changes including problems with thinking, memory, concentration and behavior. These changes can influence many parts of our lives, such as our ability to work or even to complete everyday tasks (i.e. driving, cooking, taking care of others).

Symptoms of stress also include depression of intellectual functioning, cognitive distortions and misinterpretations of situations, events and interpersonal exchanges (Beck, A. T., & Clark, D. A., 1997). In addition, people that are overstressed may have ruminative and unproductive patterns of thinking and indecisiveness. They worry and anticipate that “something bad” will happen and fear that they are losing control. They become distractible, impatient, and easily irritated. Further, memory can be impaired (Newcomer J.W. et al., 1999) and there is a tendency to engage in negative, unrealistic and pessimistic thinking patterns. Take stress seriously!

Certain foods can increase your brain power and can keep you living healthier and longer. And since the brain is a hungry organ in the sense that it is metabolically active, we need to feed it with the right foods for optimal performance. Here are 4 tips for an intelligent diet.

1. Water
Our brains are about 80 percent water, so the first rule of brain nutrition is adequate water intake to hydrate your brain. Even slight dehydration can raise stress hormones, which in turn can damage your brain over time. Also, water makes up 83% of human blood and acts as a transport system, delivering nutrients to the brain and eliminating toxins. Water is essential for concentration and mental alertness.

2. Antioxidants
A number of studies have shown that dietary intake of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables significantly reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment (Zandi, P. et al., Arch Neurol 2004; 61:82-88). Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. In normal amounts free radicals work to rid the body of harmful toxins, thereby keeping it healthy. When produced in toxic amounts, free radicals damage the body’s cellular machinery, resulting in cell death and tissue damage. The US Department of Agriculture suggest the following fruits and vegetables: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, spinach, raspberries, Brussel sprouts, plums, broccoli, beets, avocados, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, cherries and kiwis. Also, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta Carotene inhibit the production of free radicals.

3. Omega-3 fatty acids
DHA, one form of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, makes up a large portion of the gray matter of the brain. The fat in your brain forms cell membranes and plays a vital role in how our cells function. Neurons are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Research in the last few years has revealed that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help promote a healthy emotional balance and positive mood in later years (Parker, G. et al., 2006), possibly because DHA is a main component of the brain’s synapses. Lack of omega-3 fats in your diet can lead to depression, poor memory, low IQ, learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADD and many more mental disorders (National Institute of Health Conference (1998): “Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids & Psychiatric Disorders”). Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, sardines, herring, and walnuts.

4. Proteins
Proteins are essential to make neurotransmitters, which are vital for the thinking process. Further, protein provides the building blocks for most of the body’s tissues, nerves, and internal organs (including brain and heart). Protein is found in meat, fish, milk and cheese. Try to eat a protein-based lunch to optimize your mental performance and alertness throughout the day.

Take the informative Brain Food Quiz at WebMD

The right kind of cocoa might be great for your brain.

“This raises the prospect of using flavanols in the treatment of dementia, marked by decreased blood flow in the brain, and in maintaining overall cardiovascular health”.

Read all about the benefits of cocoa here