Telomeres are all over the news these days. Those pesky little caps of DNA on our chromosomes shorten as we age and research shows that some cancers, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, obesity and heart disease are all more likely to arise in people with shorter telomeres. So it is fair to say that longer telomeres equal longevity.
By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com
Telomeres are all over the news these days. Those pesky little caps of DNA on our chromosomes shorten as we age and research shows that some cancers, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, obesity and heart disease are all more likely to arise in people with shorter telomeres. So it is fair to say that longer telomeres equal longevity.
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By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com I love to drive and I’m an enthusiast of all things that improve cognition, so I’m excited to report that a new racecar driving 3D computer game is in development that has been proven to enhance cognition in senior players. With just 12 hours of training, those between 60 – 85 are as good or better at the game than 20 year-olds playing it for the first time. The game is demanding, asking players to drive a racecar on a winding road, while also watching for a specific sign to show up on the side of the road. When that sign appears the player has to press a certain button. The game’s demands stress the brain and this stress response, or interference, is greater in older people. However, with just 12 hours of training, seniors gained significantly in memory and attention. The benefits were shown to last at least six months after the training stopped. The game was created by University of California – San Franciso (UCSF) researchers. Adam Gazzaley, UCSF associate professor of neurology, and his team studied the brains of the players, and their work is published in Nature (Sept.4, 2013). Gazzaley is a co-founding advisor with Akili Interactive Labs, a company that is currently testing a clinical version of the game. I can’t wait to try it! Read more here: http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/61488.php?from=247855 By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com
If you think your brain might be shrinking (due to aging, poor memory, or signs of dementia) you’ll want to know about the relationship between homocysteine and B vitamins. Researchers at the University of Oxford recently published study results that show significantly reduced brain atrophy in pre-dementia patients (those with Mild Cognitive Impairment) as a result of B vitamin supplementation. Music, the Mind and Sensory Deprivation: Musician’s Device Wins Coveted Spot at TED Conference2/26/2011 By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com What if the brain gains associated with meditation practice could be married to the soothing elements of music in an incredibly comfortable cocoon of darkness? What if technology can be used to foster positive mood and mind states? Jay Vidyarthi says he’s a dreamer, because he “wants to help people achieve a state of peace and then apply their happiness forward to generate more positivity.” But he’s also one heck of a practical guy who has woven his interest and expertise in brain function, music and technology into a new device — the Sonic Cradle — that is premiering this week at the exclusive TEDActive conference in Palm Springs, California. By Guest Writer Rosemary Frei Sleeping in a hammock is good for the brain. Scientists have confirmed what many mothers have known for eons: you can get the best rest by dozing in a hammock or on another gently swinging surface. A study by Swiss researchers showed that napping on a slowly swinging surface activates the parts of the brain involved in sleep. The swinging motion propelled healthy male subjects in the study more rapidly into sleep and gave them longer-lasting deep sleep than sleeping on a non-rocking surface. Read more about this exciting research in my book: Better Brain Better Life: Tips and Tales from the Tantalizing World of Brain Science.
About the writer: Rosemary Frei has a diverse background in life-sciences research, journalism, media relations and continuing medical education. With a M.Sc. in molecular biology/biotechnology from the University of Calgary, Rosemary has been a freelance broadcast and print journalist for Canadian radio (CBC) and business magazines, including Equinox and Canadian Business. By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com Dr. Les Fehmi, Princeton Biofeedback Centre What if your mind was like a clear pond, and the thoughts within it darting fish that don’t disturb the surface? What if you had a sense of mental lightness even when you are really busy? What if you could dissolve any physical or emotional pain with just 30 minutes of relaxed attention? Thanks to the pioneering work of Les Fehmi, an electrical engineer turned psychologist thousands of people have experienced the above, and more. Fehmi is a pioneer in EEG technology and its application to human experience. He and Donald B. Lindsey, his mentor in graduate school, discovered how the brains of monkeys process information simultaneously at several sites, rather than linearly, as was previously thought. The ability of the brain to process information simultaneously is known as synchrony.
Building on his and Lindsey’s synchrony discoveries and that of research psychologist Joe Kamiya’s finding that profound states of mental quiet associated with alpha brain waves could be trained with EEG-based feedback, Fehmi hooked himself up to a self-made EEG feedback device and tried to generate alpha wave activity. After 12 two-hour sessions he was getting nowhere. Then, during the 13th session, he became frustrated and gave up in abject failure. As soon as he gave up, the EEG showed clear and significant alpha wave activity. In fact, Fehmi experienced a profound state of consciousness that has fueled his life and work ever since. Read about Fehmi’s groundbreaking research in my book: Better Brain Better Life: Tips and Tales from the Tantalizing World of Brain Science. By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com In a stunning research ‘first’, the practice of meditation has been linked to cellular longevity. The discovery was made in a study that was part of the Shamatha project, which is housed within the Center for Mind and Brain at University of California, Davis (UCD). Led by Clifford Saron, associate research scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain, the Shamatha project is one of the first long-term, detailed, matched control-group studies of the effects of intensive meditation training on mind and body.
Read more about this and other research into the incredible mind/body benefits of practicing meditation in my book: Better Brain Better Life: Tips and Tales from the Tantalizing World of Brain Science. By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com Anyone with a fear of getting Alzheimer’s disease or in the early stages of having the disease knows that severe memory loss is devastating. My own mother is sitting next to me as I write. She has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and I suggested a few minutes ago that I take her up to her day program for a bit of a social time. She tells me that her mind isn’t what it used to be. She’s rubbing her forehead and trying to remember who is at the program and what it will be like if she goes. She’s been to the program on about 50 different occasions. As you might imagine, I am sometimes afraid that my mind will go, just as my mother’s has, which is I suppose part of the reason I am committed to working on finding new ways to improve my brain and also helping others to do the same, via Better Brain Better Life. By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com Wow! As someone who suffers from chronic digestive problems, and who is also very interested in the brain, I’ve just had my socks knocked off by a study reported in JAMA(http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/292/7/852). I turned to this study as a reference cited in The Ultra Mind Solution, by Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D, a book I picked up while in Vancouver interviewing Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose (see my post ‘Weight Training Improves Cognition’). I was intrigued by Hyman’s citation of the JAMA study and the work of Dr. Mark Pimental (UCLA).
Here’s what I’ve learned so far: harmful bacteria from the large intestine can invade the small intestine and appear to cause (of play a role in the development of) all kinds of surprising problems including mood disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression, in addition to fibromyalgia, and behavioral problems like inappropriate anger and violence, as well as intestinal gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. It turns out that Dr. Mark Pimental has developed a treatment to clean up the small intestine bacterial problem. He uses a non-absorbed antibiotic–Xifaxin. Dr. Hyman also uses the drug with terrific results. I headed straight for my doctor, book in hand, and requested the drug but unfortunately, it is not available in Canada. I hope to find a way to obtain it. My own private detective work on my body/mind has led me to the conclusion that digestion has an incredible impact on my cognition and I am excited to learn more. |
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