Brain

An increased risk of cognitive impairment in older adults has been associated with living in a high-pollution environment. There is a strong push towards reducing air pollution as it is linked to numerous health problems such as heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes, to name a few. More recent findings suggest that air pollution can ...click here to read more

A new study has found that runners’ brains, compared to non-runners, show greater connections. What does this mean exactly? The researchers found that runners had greater functional connectivity compared to those who lived more sedentary lives. The researchers compared brain scans of cross country runners to scans of young adults who did not partake in ...click here to read more

Liver and brain link plays an important role in regulating alcohol consumption. One of the senior investigators Paul Elliott explained, “Alcohol drinking in excess is a major public health problem worldwide and we need to find new ways of reducing the harmful effects of alcohol in the population. Even small shifts downward in the average ...click here to read more

Brain activity in older adults measured while walking and talking may predict the risk of falls. Study author Joe Verghese explained, “In older people who had no signs of disease that would make them prone to falls, higher levels of activity in the front of the brain, called the prefrontal cortex, were associated with a ...click here to read more

If you’re over the age of 65, you probably have experienced some memory slipups. Maybe you forgot where you parked, or maybe you can’t recall someone’s name, whatever it was, you may notice that these episodes occur more and more often. Memory problems are a real struggle for seniors, and although it’s normal to have ...click here to read more

How we feel about things can be revealed by our stomach. There’s an intimate connection between our brain and our stomach – commonly referred to as the brain-gut connection – that’s hard at work 24/7. As research now shows, those butterflies are like pin pricks of dread for the tummy, turning you into a physical ...click here to read more

Hearing difficulties in older people linked to changes in the attention processes in the brain. Researchers recorded the alpha waves in the brain of 20- to 30-year-olds and 60- to 70-year-olds while they performed a hearing task. The participants listened to two spoken numbers and had to press a button if the second number said ...click here to read more

Although many of us complain about our busy schedules, keeping our agendas booked up could be offering us many brain health benefits. A study uncovered that older adults with busier schedules perform better on memory tests, information processing, and reasoning. The researchers did mention that they don’t necessarily believe being busy promotes mental clarity, as ...click here to read more

Parkinson’s disease risk in men has been found to be lower with high uric acid (urate) levels in blood. Urate is formed when purines – found in many of the foods and beverages we consume – are broken down in the body. Study author Xiang Gao said, “These results suggest that urate could protect against ...click here to read more

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk are lower in seniors who exercise as physical activity has been shown to protect brain’s gray matter. A new study found that seniors who exercise regularly have larger amounts of gray matter associated with better memory and cognition. Numerous studies have pointed to the benefits of exercise on the brain. ...click here to read more

We encounter stress on a daily basis, when we are stuck in traffic or waiting in the long lineup at the grocery store, for example. Stress can vary greatly from mild to severe and chronic. Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects of stress on the body, as it causes headaches and stomach aches, raises ...click here to read more

Migraine may change the brain’s structure permanently and the risk is stronger in migraine with aura. Study author Messoud Ashina said, “Traditionally, migraine has been considered a benign disorder without long-term consequences for the brain. Our review and meta-analysis study suggests that the disorder may permanently alter brain structure in multiple ways.” Migraines were found ...click here to read more

A good night’s sleep may improve memory due to brain activity in hippocampus. Researchers from Bristol’s Center for Synaptic Plasticity uncovered additional benefits of a good night’s sleep. The findings are important because poor sleep is a pressing issue in our society and has been linked to health problems such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. ...click here to read more

Mental health and brain power can be restored with vigorous exercise in older adults. The findings were uncovered through the use of imaging scans by UC Davis Health System, revealing that vigorous exercise increases levels of two common neurotransmitters that are responsible for messaging and communication within the brain. The neurotransmitters are glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric ...click here to read more