If you’re a fan of caffeine like me, you’re well aware of its power to enhance cognition. It obviously gives you energy, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Beyond all the get-up-and-go, I find the great ideas come fast and furious. At least I think they’re great at the time. And most of them [...]
Could snorting insulin save your memory if you start to develop Alzheimer’s disease? Some researchers believe it can. But studies of whether or not it works have been mixed. And questions remain. For instance, what exactly happens that makes brain cells less sensitive to insulin in a way that seems to be linked to Alzheimer’s? [...]
Research shows that how you start the day can make a big difference in how well your memory works and how reliable your decision-making abilities hold up through the day. So why not start your day with these three simple habits that make for more brainpower? A study in Australia of people aged 55 to [...]
Obese middle-aged men and women are at greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia. That much is known. But this link is not well established among obese seniors. And in fact, some studies even suggest being overweight in old age protects against dementia – while being thinner than normal is detrimental! This odd riddle needed [...]
In the first century AD, a man named Scribonius Largus was the court physician to the emperor of Rome. Among other things in his medical bag of tricks, he had a novel method for relieving headaches. He would lay an electric ray (torpedo fish) across the patient's head. The 30 to 50 volts produced by [...]
For one man, his mother's dementia was so distressing he decided to stop visiting her at the care home she was staying in. Yet only a short time later he was seeing her regularly. What made the difference? Personalized music. It’s quite a story. . . When the first melody on her playlist kicks off, [...]
A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's is hard to obtain before death because only then can brain cells be scrutinized closely under the microscope. So in living patients, doctors have to rely on various tests. From the information gathered they believe the diagnosis will be accurate for nearly all patients. But on April 30, that all [...]
In this newsletter the topic is usually how to remember things. Memory loss is a huge worry, especially among those of us who are getting old. But what if you want to forget something? Sounds odd, but sometimes that is the case. For example, someone suffering from PTSD is haunted by terrible things that happened [...]
Before you have any kind of surgery, especially if you are middle-aged or older, you need to be aware of the brain damage that often results from general anesthesia – the kind where you lose consciousness. Studies now show that this problem has been drastically underestimated by medical professionals. Being “put under” and operated on [...]
In looking into the importance of a vitamin you need to keep your brain and nerve tissue healthy, I’ve had to wonder – when is a widespread lack of a nutrient a national emergency? Because every time I investigate the importance of vitamin B12, I’m reminded that millions of people – millions! – don’t get [...]
