Stroke Of Luck? Chocolate Might Be As Good As Exercise For Some

Posted on October 12, 2011 by admin

A study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology of more than 33,000 Swedish women over the course of 10 years, found that those who ate the most chocolate had the lowest chance of stroke. WOMEN who eat a bar of chocolate a week could reduce their risk of stroke by 20%.  Dark vs light chocolate consumption was not studied.

Participants who ate about a bar and a half per week (66g) were 20% less likely to suffer a stroke. Women who consumed 8g or less grams of chocolate a week were at the highest risk.

The Karolinska Institute scientists questioned 33,372 women about their eating habits in 1997 and over the next decade about 1,600 suffered strokes.

These findings reinforce previous studies that highlight the health benefits of eating chocolate and cocoa – the protective agent in chocolate.

Another study by Cambridge University researchers found that regular doses of chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease by a third, while a separate study suggested it can be as good for your health as exercise.

Researchers expect to find similar results when they complete a study of chocolate consumption in men.

 

Posted in Brain Injury, Memory Health, Stroke, Uncategorized | View Comments

Worried About Dementia, Stroke or Alzheimer’s disease? Forget About It!

Posted on October 6, 2011 by admin

A study published in medical journal Neurology, found that people who think that they are in poor health are more likely to develop dementia later in life. Among study participants with no cognitive problems, those who rated their health as poor were nearly twice as likely to develop dementia as those who rated their health as good.

People age 65 years or older were asked to rate their health and were followed for nearly seven years. Of  8,169 people at the beginning of the study, 618 people developed dementia.  Thus, the risk of dementia was 70 % higher in people rating their health as poor – and 34 % higher in people rating their health as fair compared to those who rated their health as good.

Surprisingly, the relationship between people’s own health ratings and dementia development was even stronger for those without memory or cognition problems or issues.

Speculation about causes behind these results includes the possibility that the degree of social (networking and activities) involvement – where higher levels of social activities are associated with a decreased risk of dementia – might be involved.

For example, thinking you are in ill health might limit your interest in social behaviors, thus limiting social interaction and in turn accelerating the dementia process.

Further research into this area might someday result in a low cost, simple tool for doctors to determine a person’s potential risk of dementia, especially for people with no symptoms or memory problems.  A prescription for ‘being social’ might just turn out to be a low cost way to increase memory fitness and therefore reduce the burden of dementia.

 

Posted in Assessment, How the Brain Works, How the Memory Works, Memory Fitness, neuroscience, Stroke, Uncategorized | View Comments

Diabetics’ Cognitive Decline Not Slowed With Intensive Blood Sugar Control

Posted on October 1, 2011 by admin

After 40 months, researchers found that lowering diabetics’ blood sugar below current recommended levels of 7-7.5% did not prevent cognitive decline, according to a 3,000-patient MIND substudy of the larger ACCORD trial reported in The Lancet Neurology.

Because earlier studies show that control of blood sugar levels between 7 and 7.5% appear to reduce the risk of kidney, eye and cardiovascular problems, researchers wanted to see if intensive control to 6% might slow the rate of diabetes-related cognitive impairment. Older type 2 diabetes patients are at higher risk of cognitive impairment than counterparts without diabetes, and also at higher risk of brain atrophy. Insulin is central to normal brain performance and reduced levels may contribute to dementia progression including Alzheimer’s disease.

The patients in the intensive treatment group had a significantly larger mean total brain volume than the standard treatment group, but no difference between the two groups on the cognitive function test. Smaller brain volume is linked to cognitive decline.

Neurologists not involved with the study suggest that while the results do not support specific treatments to prevent cognitive decline in diabetics, the absence of a cognitive effect is not conclusive proof that the treatment may not delay dementia. Still more research is needed to identify the optimal treatments for physical and brain health, even as more and more evidence indicates that cardio health is brain health.

 

Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, How the Brain Works, How the Memory Works, Memory Health, neuroscience, Stroke, Uncategorized | View Comments

Feeding The Brain’s Sweet Tooth To Maintain Memory Fitness

Posted on September 27, 2011 by admin

Bood sugar is directly related to levels of nourishing glucose in the brain. While subjects viewed pictures of high-calorie, low-calorie and non-foods during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of their brains, researchers intravenously regulated glucose levels and monitored changes in blood sugar levels. Results of this brain imaging study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex – known to regulate emotions and impulses – loses its ability to inhibit desire for high-calorie food when glucose levels drop.

While the greatest reaction to reduced glucose levels was seen in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain called the hypothalamus senses the change whenever glucose levels drop. Other brain regions associated with reward are also activated when glucose levels drop – such as the insula and striatum – triggering a desire to eat.

When glucose is lowered, the prefrontal cortex appeared to lose its ability to resist the increasingly urgent signals to eat generated in the striatum. This weakened response was very striking in obese individuals as high-calorie, food images were displayed. This strongly suggests that obese individuals may not have the ability to inhibit the impulse to eat when glucose levels drop below normal.

Another finding of lowered glucose level showed a similarly robust response to high-calorie food in the striatum, causing it to become hyperactive.

However, the stress associated with glucose drops may play a key role in activating the striatum because levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, increased, seeming to play a more significant role than glucose in activating the brain’s reward centers.  More research is needed to fully understand this seemingly insidious cycle for people at risk of obesity.

This research supports the growing body of scientific evidence that memory fitness is not simply exercising the brain with word and number puzzles, although they too are important.  Lifestyle issues, such as diet, and eating healthy foods that maintain glucose levels are amazingly important aspects of maintaining memory fitness and should be part of your memory fitness plan.

Oh, you might also investigate eating more often – but smaller amounts – during the day to help maintain adequate blood glucose levels to your brain.

 

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Brain’s Stress Coping Gene Hurts Memory Under Chronic Stress

Posted on September 21, 2011 by admin

Chronic stress has long been linked with neurodegeneration. Researchers now think they know why: The RCAN1 gene that normally helps neuronal cells cope with stress becomes overproduced, causing damaged neurons.

Researchers examined the brains of rats experiencing psychological stresses and found high levels of the RCAN1 gene, suggesting that chronic stress — physical or mental — causes overexpression of RCAN1, in turn leading to neurodegenerative disease.

Gene are the blueprints for generating specific proteins to do special jobs in the body. In a healthy person, the RCAN1 gene helps cells cope with stress. For example, if RCAN1 genes produce 200 units of its protein instead of the 100 units needed, there is “overexpression” of the RCAN1 gene.  This can damage neurons, preventing the brain’s signals from traveling and eventually causing disease. Chronic overproduction of RCAN1 causes hyper-phosphorylation of tau proteins in the brain.

Tau proteins stabilize microtubule scaffolding used to build neurons. When tau protein binds too much phosphate — a process known as hyperphosphorylation — it becomes tangled and prevents the brain’s signals from reaching their destinations. These neurofibrillary tangles kill neurons a little at a time— also known as degenerative brain disease.

Two possible theories on leading causes of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease are: overproduction of the Amyloid Beta peptide; and tau hyperphosphorylation. RCAN1 overexpression is believed to be involved in both processes, tying together Amyloid Beta and tau theories of neurodegeneration.

The study, published in The FASEB Journal (the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology) has implications for understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Researchers hope to stimulate more research on the subject.

Practical suggestions for memory fitness from this research include the need to keep stress levels to moderate levels regardless if the stress results from either physical or emotional causes.

 

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Dopamine Released After Brain Training Improves Working Memory Performance

Posted on September 11, 2011 by admin

It is known that training can improve working memory.  Now, research published in Science, substantiates the fact that working-memory training is associated with an increased release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in specific brain regions, particularly the caudate, a region located below the neocortex.  Researchers note that the dopaminergic influx was particularly large in this brain region highlighting the importance of dopamine for improving working-memory performance.

The five-week study involved 10 young men trained in improving working memory using a letter-memory task versus a control group receiving no training. On a screen – three times a week – the participants were presented with 7 to 15 letters for 45 minutes. The task was to remember the last four letters in the sequence in correct order. Compared to the control group, the trained group showed a gradual improvement of working-memory performance.

PET scans demonstrated an increased release of dopamine in the caudate immediately after training. In addition, while dopamine release was seen during the letter-memory task before training, dopamine release was markedly increased after training.

In addition, improvements after training were demonstrated in an untrained task that also requires working memory performance, strongly suggesting that the training generally improved working memory.

This study suggests that working memory training should be considered for those in need of improved working memory functioning such as those persons with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Further studies are indicated to determine which types of working memory training are most effective.

 

Posted in Attention, How the Brain Works, How the Memory Works, Memory Training & Improvement, neuroscience, Uncategorized | View Comments

Higher Physical Activity Levels Help Maintain Memory Fitness and Reduce Stroke Risk

Posted on September 5, 2011 by admin

Earlier research has already shown that even moderate daily activity such as walking 20-30 minutes each day can have positive effects on maintaining memory fitness in old age. New evidence shows that moderate to intense physical activity can provide additional benefits in terms of reduced ‘silent strokes’ – the first sign of cerebrovascular disease or stroke.

A study published in Neurology online, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, tested the hypothesis that small brain lesions, also known as ‘silent strokes’, may be the first sign of cerebrovascular disease. The study revealed a few surprises including what many believe to be a major breakthrough… that older people who regularly exercise at a moderate to intense level have lower chances of developing the small brain lesions and therefore maintaining their memory fitness.

Other findings suggest that these ‘silent strokes’ appear to be associated with a higher risk of falls and impaired mobility. Higher stroke risk also increases risks of memory loss including dementia.

Researchers closely monitored 1,238 people with no history of stroke. At the beginning of the study, participants filled out a questionnaire on how often and how intensely they exercised or did some form of physical activity. About 43 % of participants claimed no regular exercise; 36 % were involved in regular light exercise, such as golf, walking, bowling or dancing; the remaining 21 % reported participating in moderate to intense exercise including hiking, tennis, racquetball, swimming, jogging or biking.

After six years – at an average age of 70 – they underwent MRI scans of their brains. Analysis found that 197 of the participants, or 16 %, had small brain lesions or infarcts otherwise known as silent strokes. Those performing moderate to intense exercise appeared 40 percent less likely to have the silent strokes than people who did no regular exercise. The results apparently remained unaffected even after adjusting for vascular risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. No difference registered between those who were engaged in light exercise and those who did not exercise.

A ‘silent stroke’ is significant, because of the association with increased risk of falls and impaired mobility and memory problems, in addition to stroke. These findings should encourage older people to consider taking part in medically appropriate moderate to intense exercise – under physician’s care – as an important strategy for keeping their brains healthy and their memory fitness maintained.

 

Posted in Assessment, Brain Injury, How the Brain Works, How the Memory Works, Memory Fitness, Stroke, Uncategorized | View Comments

Moderate Drinking May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s, Other Dementias

Posted on September 3, 2011 by admin

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, especially wine, may lower the risk of dementia, according to a meta-analysis review of previous research published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.  Analyzing data from over 365,000 people in 143 studies conducted since 1977,  meta-analysis found a lower risk of brain impairment seen in those who enjoy alcohol.  That may be something to celebrate…..but don’t overdo it.

Moderate drinkers were 23 % less likely to develop dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of “cognitive impairment,” a term used to describe a decline in thinking skills. Moderate drinking is generally defined as a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

Researchers said that while not statistically significant, heavy drinking (more than three to five drinks per day) may be associated with a higher risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.  Wine appeared more beneficial than beer or spirits, but that finding was based on a relatively small number of studies.

The researchers said the protective effect of moderate drinking remained after they factored in age, education, sex and smoking, and that the effects of alcohol were the same in men and women.

They also noted that the association between moderate drinking and reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment was statistically significant in 14 of 19 countries, including the United States.

Researchers noted that while its not clear why moderate drinking may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, alcohol might improve blood flow in the brain and thus brain metabolism. Another theory suggests that small amounts of alcohol may make brain cells more fit by slightly stressing them and increasing their ability to cope with major levels of stress that can eventually cause dementia.

Neurological health experts noted that while this retrospective study was well-designed and well-executed it falls in the category of epidemiology (population wide, observational studies), of which there are at least a dozen such reports.

Conclusive proof that moderate drinking helps curb dementia rates could only come from a prospective, randomized clinical trial — something that hasn’t happened yet.  Until then, patient guidance in this area may be problematic unless directed by your personal physician.

 

 

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New AAN Tools Teach Coaches and Athletes How to Spot and Deal With Concussion

Posted on September 1, 2011 by admin

Tools intended to reduce the estimated four million US sports concussions experienced each year and to limit the severity of injury that can result from continued play after concussion, The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) introduced new tools for high school coaches, athletes and parents of youths to learn the signs of sports concussion. It emphasizes knowing when a player must leave the game as well as when – and if –  it’s ok to return to playing.

AAN is the leading professional neurologist organization dedicated to managing sports concussion. In 2010, AAN issued a new policy statement on managing concussions and is currently updating its guideline recommendations that define concussion severity levels.

“Coaches and parents need to understand the extreme care that is needed when returning younger athletes to the game who may have experienced a concussion,” said Jeffrey Kutcher, MD, chair of the American Academy of Neurology’s Sports Neurology Section and also director of the University of Michigan’s Neurosport program. “If for any reason you suspect an athlete has a concussion, remove the athlete from play and be sure the athlete is carefully evaluated by a person trained in concussion management, such as a neurologist.”

Common Signs Coaches May Observe in Players

  • Behavior or personality change
  • False/imagined memory
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Empty stare
  • Disorientation

Symptoms Athletes May Report

  • Blurry vision
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling hazy, foggy, or groggy
  • Headache

The Academy’s website now offers two free 20-minute online safety courses – with printable certificate after passing the online quiz – created by the University of Michigan Neurosport program and endorsed by the American Academy of Neurology to help high school and youth coaches recognize the signs of concussion and what to do if a player gets a head injury during a game. It also has free downloadable Coaches Cards on how to spot concussion and what to do if a player receives one. Coaches and players are encouraged to keep these cards with their athletic gear for easy access. Public service announcements will also air on radio stations nationwide.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 24,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, acquired brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.  For more information about AAN and its resources for sports concussion, visit www.aan.com/concussion

 

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Some Jokes Activate Brain’s Reward Centers More Than Others

Posted on August 27, 2011 by admin

A funny thing happens to your brain when you hear a joke…. Specific neurons “light up” as you begin to laugh!

According to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the funnier the joke is, the more activity there is in the listener’s brain pleasure centers. A team of scientists using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), scanned the brains of 12 healthy people who volunteered for the study, to compare what goes on in their brains when they hear ordinary sentences and funny jokes, including puns.

Scans clearly demonstrated that the brain’s reward centers were activated much more when responding to jokes and puns than to everyday language. As if to  reinforce the phenomenon, the funnier each subject found an individual joke, the greater was their MRI response.

The researchers found a characteristic pattern of brain activity when the jokes used were puns. For example, jokes like ‘Why don’t cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny!’ involved language processing areas in the brain more than jokes that didn’t use wordplay.  Double entendres (i.e., words with more than one meaning) also exhibited their own characteristic fMRI pattern. Such studies help scientists gain further insight into how the brain works.

A more humane implication of this study involves patients in a vegetative state from severe acquired brain injury.  Scientists previously used fMRI to detect language comprehension in vegetative state patients who can’t communicate in any other way. This study shows that similar methods can be used to look for positive emotions in such patients which could be important for their families and friends wanting to find out whether someone in a vegetative state can experience positive emotions – a step that could help relatives understand their state of mind.

 

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