Cognitive Labs

A new study of 488 subjects published today in the journal Neurology has found that brain exercises may halt the development of dementias - related to conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. The study examined a subject group over a period of 5 years.

More of the article

The body of evidence has been accumulating since late 2006's JAMA article showing increasing efficacy of cognitive exercise, particularly in the areas of speed and executive functioning - in a variety of scientific and medical journals, including our own 2008 study as well as earlier papers.

Labels: alzheimers, dementia, einstein

Image of brain from York, believed to be part of a ritual sacrifice

A 2,000 year old brain was discovered in York and the announcement recently hit the wires. It would be fascinating to see if the brain shows any signs of amyloid accumulation and whether or not the individual was APOEe4 positive, if it could be extracted from the DNA.

Probably not, as DNA extraction of soft tissues is notoriously fraught with difficulties, such as contamination from the modern context, and any dried blood recovered may have degraded.

Early speculation suggests that the individual, dating to around 0 or the beginning of the Common Era (C.E.), was sacrificed and placed into a peat bog, as part of a religious ceremony dating back to Druidic practice. In this era, the Britons were self-governing and independent. Other recovered bodies in the U.K. and Northern Europe have shown evidence of similar treatment.

One scholarly speculation, that lead poisoning from pipes and lead-treated ceramic vessels caused widespread dementia in the first few centuries of the common era has been shown as fallacious, since such pipes would have been used only by a small fraction of the population and, according to hydrologists, dissolved calcium carbonate (lime) deposits from the water sources and vessels would have precipitated on any exposed lead surfaces, creating a molecular barrier.

Links for background:
Peat bog burials in Northern Europe
Druidism and Sacrifice
Lead pipes + ancient dementia

Labels: 2000, alzheimers, bog, calcium, carbonate, dementia, druidsm, human, lead, lime, peat, peatbog, sacrifice, york

Diet Linked to Cognitive Decline and Dementia

Research has shown convincing evidence that dietary patterns practiced during adulthood are important contributors to age-related cognitive decline and dementia risk.

An article published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences highlights information on the benefits of diets high in fruit, vegetables, cereals and fish and low in saturated fats in reducing dementia risk.

Adults with diabetes are especially sensitive to the foods they eat with respect to cognitive function. Specifically, an adult with diabetes will experience a decline in memory function after a meal, especially if simple carbohydrate foods are consumed. While the precise physiological mechanisms underlying these dietary influences are not completely understood, the modulation of brain insulin levels likely contributes.

This deficit can be prevented through healthful food choices at meals. The findings suggest that weight maintenance reduces the risk of developing obesity-associated disorders, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and is an important component of preserving cognitive health.

The work shows another benefit of maintaining healthful eating practices with aging - the same ones proposed by most diabetes and heart & stroke foundations. "This type of information should be able to empower the individual, knowing that he/she can be actively engaged in activities and lifestyles that should support cognitive health with aging," says Carol Greenwood, author of the study.

This study, entitled "Dietary Influences on Cognitive Function with Aging," is published in volume 1114 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences: Healthy Aging and Longevity.

Labels: academy, dementia, diet