Glia, not neurons, are most affected by brain aging

The difference between an old brain and a young brain isn’t so much the number of neurons but the presence and function of supporting cells called glia. In Cell Reports on January 10, researchers who examined postmortem brain samples from 480 individuals ranging in age from 16 to 106 found that the state of someone’s glia is so consistent through …

Ian Johnston – People with early signs of Alzheimer’s more than seven times more likely to be lonely

Loneliness could be a factor in Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. Researchers used brain-imaging techniques to determine levels of amyloid – a protein associated with the disease – in the brains of a group of 79 apparently healthy people with an average age of 76. They then compared this to a test designed to find out how lonely someone …

Caloric restriction can be beneficial to the brain, study shows

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at VerticalNews Health — Studies of different animal species suggest a link between eating less and living longer, but the molecular mechanisms by which caloric restriction affords protection against disease and extends longevity are not well understood. New clues to help solve the mystery are presented in an article published in the September issue …

What Women Must Know – The Spiritual Lessons from a Life with Horses with Dr. Allan Hamilton – 10.27.16

Allan Hamilton started his working life as a janitor. He would eventually go on to graduate from Harvard Medical School and complete his neurosurgical residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Hamilton holds four Professorships at the University of Arizona in Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, Psychology, and Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Valerie Strauss – How schools are turning ‘joy’ into a character strength — and why it’s an awful idea

Back in March I published a post titled, “Now some schools are testing kids for their ‘grit’ and ‘joy’ levels. Really.” For years we’ve heard of schools viewing “grit” as a character strength and moving to measure how much grit students have while attempting to build it up in those deficient. Now one of the co-authors of that post is …

Drinking Peppermint Tea Boosts Memory

Peppermint tea tested against for memory and cognition In a release from the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference in Nottingham, researchers have found that peppermint tea can immediately increase short- and long-term memory. The researchers, Dr. Mark Moss, Robert Jones and Lucy Moss from the UK’s Northumbria University, tested 180 healthy people. They were randomly selected to drink peppermint tea, chamomile tea …

Pollution may be playing role in dementia

AIR pollution and a shortage of sunshine may increase the risk of dementia, Scottish research has revealed. Experts at Edinburgh University have drawn up a shortlist of environmental hazards that might make people more prone to illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. Exposure to traffic and factory fumes and a lack of vitamin D, which is created when skin is exposed …

Sick cities: why urban living can be bad for your mental health

You are lying down with your head in a noisy and tightfitting fMRI brain scanner, which is unnerving in itself. You agreed to take part in this experiment, and at first the psychologists in charge seemed nice. They set you some rather confusing maths problems to solve against the clock, and you are doing your best, but they aren’t happy. …

Why you should thank your aging brain

If you forget a name or two, take longer to finish the crossword, or find it hard to manage two tasks at once, you’re not on the road to dementia. What you’re experiencing is your brain changing the way it works as you get older. And in many ways it’s actually working better. Studies have shown that older people have …