Category: Brain Health

Source: http://www.nia.nih.gov/research/blog/2016/12/new-possibilities-research-training-small-business-research

The mighty push for research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias continues at NIA. While an earlier blog highlighted the research initiatives we have published, this chapter covers the more recent publication of two training initiatives and four small business-related initiatives….

Source: http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2016/oral-dental-health-conditions.html

3 days ago … Your oral health provides clues about other health conditions such as erectile
dysfunction, diabetes, eating disorders and more….

Source: http://blog.alz.org/finding-joy-during-my-first-christmas-with-alzheimers/

The holidays have long been known as the season of joy, but how do you truly define joy? As someone living with Alzheimer’s disease and approaching my first Christmas since receiving the diagnosis, I’m beginning to define joy differently than I have in previous years.

While I previously found joy during the holidays in festive decorations, music, meals and parties, I’ve come to realize these are fleeting. This year, spending time with my family, making new memories and remembering past holidays are the activities that bring me the most contentment.

In fact, joy has become less of a feeling and more of an action for me. I actively rejoice for the blessings I have in my family and friends. I show joy through acts of love and have let go of the small stresses that would’ve stolen my happiness during previous holidays.<img class="size-medium wp-image-5400 alignright" src="http://blog.alz.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jeffb2-300×213.jpg" alt="" width="300"…

Source: http://brainblogger.com/2016/12/05/how-to-secure-therapy-completion-with-meta-intervention/

Keeping messages brief and simple is more effective when trying to encourage patients to complete a health care program, according to new research.

In a study that analyzes six years of data, a team of researchers found small “nudges” in the right direction were a simple, inexpensive, and effective way to increase completion of health care programs, leading to a 16 percent jump in the completion rate for an already fastidious audience.

Dr. Dolores Albarracin, a professor of psychology and business administration at the University of Illinois and one of the co-authors of the study said that:

“Retention and completion are critical components of the effectiveness of health care interventions in real-world conditions, so a 16 percent increase in completion is significant.”

She noted that most health care intervention programs — for example, 10 sessions with a counselor — are expensive to implement and deliver:

<bloc…

Source: http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2016/12/23/french-publisher-hachette-livre-acquires-majority-stake-in-brain-training-app-peak/

Brain-training app Peak sells majority stake to French publisher Hachette (TechCrunch):

“Something of a sleeper hit, the makers of Peak — a subscription-based service specifically designed to entertain a user while simultaneously exercising their cognitive skills — have sold a majority stake to French publisher Hachette Livre. Created by London-based app company Brainbow, Peak has been downloaded over 15 million times and was named Best App in 2014 by Apple, while Google Play chose it as the Best Self Improvement App in 2015 and 2016 (it also won a Europas award)…It’s…

Source: http://brainblogger.com/2016/12/06/the-science-of-raising-a-friendly-psychopath/

What makes someone a psycopath? Nature or nurture? And can we stop at risk children from growing up into dangerous adult psycopaths? One of the oldest queries in psychology — Nature Vs Nurture — asks if what makes us who we are is predisposed by our DNA, or by life experiences. It is a pretty poignant question when it comes to psychopaths, who are estimated to account for up to 50% of all serious crimes in the US.

Clinically known as anti-social personality disorder in the DMS-V, some troublesome psychopathic traits include:

• an egocentric identity
• an absence of pro-social standards in goal-setting
• a lack of empathy
• an incapacity for mutually intimate relationships
• manipulativeness
• deceitfulness
• callousness
• irresponsibility, impulsivity and risk taking
• hostility

Although these characteristics may be unpleasant, not all psychopaths are dangerous or criminals, and not all dange…

Source: http://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2015/prevent-heart-disease.html

Want to reduce your chances of having a heart attack? Try following these tips….

Source: http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2016/12/22/empowering-communities-with-better-brain-health-tools-and-literacy-2/

What role should community and caregivers play in brain health and mental health, and how can technology aid their efforts–for example in sharing relevant data with/ from doctors? How are we going to educate and empower everyone with essential knowledge and best practices?

• Chair: Dr. Peter Whitehouse, Professor of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University
• Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, Director of the Center for Digital Aging at the Davis School of Gerontology
• Michael Meagher, President of Cogniciti
• Dr. Neal Cohen, clinical psychologis…

Source: http://blog.alz.org/savoring-holiday-moments-with-chef-madison-cowan/

Alzheimer’s has touched Madison Cowan’s life more than once. Both his father and father-in-law passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Here he shares the importance of food, family memories and enjoying every moment this holiday season.

My most prominent holiday memory is of my stepmum, who I consider my mum. I recall entering her home to the aroma of fresh-baked pastries wafting through the door. She had 10 children, and although her holiday party would include nearly 25 people, she would put together every cake, pastry and pie herself. She was astounding.

She was also astounding through my father’s 12-year-struggle with Alzheimer’s.  The love and care she provided spoke to her strength and character.

My memories of holidays with my mum and dad are phenomenal. While I was growing up in London, my mum and Dad lived in the inner city of Detroit, and the time I was able to spend in the States with…

Source: http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2016/12/16/meet-these-generous-sponsors-of-the-2016-sharpbrains-virtual-summit-thank-you/

These are the world-class organizations whose support made the 2016 SharpBrains Virtual Summit possible — Please join us in thanking them for their work and great contributions to brain health and innovation!

The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF) is dedicated to reducing the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease by conducting clinical research and providing educational outreach. Established in 1993, its mission is to make available information to empower people to build healthy brains based on lifestyle tools such as yoga, meditation and nutrition.

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