We’ve long heard about the brain-boosting powers of things like blueberries, nuts, wine, and chocolate – but is milk the newest brain food? A new study of nearly 1,000 people suggests that it may be. The study, a collaboration between researchers from the University of Maine and the University of South Australia, found that “participants who [...]

1. Weight Gain Can Lead to Fewer Food-Related Brain Rewards
2. Vitamin B12 Deficiency Linked to Cognitive Impairment – So How Can You Get More B12 in Your Diet?
3. Your Brain in Love: Part 5 – No Room for Romance? Try Music Instead… but not Junk Food

A new study has found that dogs learn to read the body language of humans in much the same way that human infants do. The study, conducted in Hungary, showed that dogs behaved in a way that is “functionally similar to a 6-month-old, to a 1-year-old,” according to the lead researcher. First, dogs watched a [...]

1. Stress Is Very Bad For Your Health- Whether You’re a Human or a Baboon
2. The Second Language Brain Debate
3. Dog Owners Excel in Physical and Cognitive Fitness

With all of the complex brain science findings out there, I really enjoyed this TED talk from neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert that goes back to one of the most fundamental questions about brains: why do we have them at all? Wolpert argues that the only reason we evolved our brains is because we had to move, [...]

1. Neanderthal Brains, Human Brains
2. Brains and Beauty, Together at Last in a New Book
3. Personal Hero: Autistic Savant Daniel Tammet Speaks About “Different Ways of Knowing”

“Chemobrain” or “chemofog” is a condition that affects cancer survivors who have undergone chemotherapy. Dozens of studies have shown that post-chemotherapy, patients may experience a decline in cognitive performance and memory, and many doctors have long believed chemobrain to be a significant problem for cancer patients. (To learn more about chemobrain, I recommend this in-depth article.) Despite this [...]

1. After Chemotherapy, Brain Can Be Impaired For 5+ Years
2. Chemobrain and cognitive training
3. HIV-Related Cognitive Decline – Webinar with Dr. Sean Rourke

Previous studies have shown that being bilingual may delay dementia, but for the first time, a Canadian study has used brain scans to offer additional proof of bilingualism’s protective effects on the brain. Research conducted up to this point has compared older people that speak either one or two languages to gauge the age at [...]

1. The Second Language Brain Debate
2. How the Brain Develops a Second Language
3. When Words Teeter on the Tip of Your Tongue (or Finger)

In the past week, you may have seen a few news headlines that talked about the idea that Alzheimer’s disease may be contagious. I’ve seen headlines like  ”Alzheimer’s Disease Contagious Like Mad Cow,” “Some Cases of Alzheimer’s May Be Transmitted,” and “Can You ‘Catch’ Alzheimer’s Disease?” Those all sound pretty scary, like something out of a [...]

1. New Early Detection Method for Alzheimer’s Disease
2. Loss of Smell May Predict Alzheimer’s
3. A Brain that Keeps on Teaching: H.M.’s Story

A new study published in Neurology has found that a deficiency in Vitamin B12 is associated with brain atrophy and increased cognitive decline. The study, which examined 121 patients age 65 and over throughout a 5 year period, measured serum markers of vitamin B12, neuropsychological test results, and MRI scans to draw conclusions about B12 [...]

1. Nuts For Brain Health!
2. Mild Cognitive Impairment More Common in Men Than Women
3. Is Milk the Newest Brain Food?

I recently read an article in the New York Times that made me think about some issues around how medical testing works. The article talked about a randomized, controlled study that aimed to prevent strokes by implanting a stent into the brain. One group received the stent surgery, while the control group received no surgical [...]

1. New Study Shows: Posit Science Brain Training Reduces Crash Risk in Older Adults by 50%
2. Early Results: European Study Combines Exercise and Brain Training for Memory
3. Evidence Matters

An Australian study recently released a shocking finding: every hour of television a person watches shortens their life by an average of 22 minutes. Looking at the behavior of 11,000 participants, the Queensland scientists found that people who watched around 6 hours of TV each day lived an average of almost 5 years less than [...]

1. Life Gets Better After Age 50 (Really!)
2. Early Results: European Study Combines Exercise and Brain Training for Memory
3. Having Correctly Prescribed Glasses Improves Quality of Life

We’ve previously written on this blog about the importance of sleep and noted some interesting ways that lack of sleep can affect your waking self. New research piles on yet another reason you need to get those zzzzzs – getting a good night’s sleep, without interruption, is key for forming memories. This study differs from [...]

1. Now I Like Sleeping Even More
2. On Sleep: Why You Need It So Badly, and How You Can Get Some!
3. Loss of Smell May Predict Alzheimer’s