Adhering to six healthy lifestyle behaviors is linked to slower memory decline in older adults, a large, population-based study suggests. Investigators found that a healthy diet, cognitive activity, regular physical exercise, not smoking, and abstaining from alcohol were significantly linked to slowed cognitive decline irrespective of APOE4 status. After adjusting for health and socioeconomic factors, … Read more
Regularly listening to music during times of crisis can significantly improve mood and relieve stress, new research suggests. In a cohort study of more than 700 adults, music listening during the COVID-19 pandemic was “prospectively associated” with lower momentary stress levels, better mood levels, and calmness–music perceived as “happy” was especially beneficial. The study corroborates … Read more
An emerging trend in virtual reality – incorporating smell – could be exciting news not just for gaming but for health care as well. A growing number of hospitals across the country are using virtual reality to help patients manage pain, overcome phobias, and calm anxiety. Providers and patients report mostly good results, save for … Read more
Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), a noninvasive laser light therapy, can improve short-term memory in young adults when applied to the right prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the brain, new research suggests. Investigators compared the effect of 1064 nm of tPBM delivered over a 12-minute session to the right PFC vs three other treatment arms: delivery of the … Read more
A brief aerobic exercise intervention can augment the benefits of exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests. Investigators randomly assigned individuals with PTSD to receive either exposure therapy with aerobic exercise or exposure therapy with passive stretching for 9 weeks. At 6 months post-intervention, participants in the aerobic exercise group showed greater … Read more
NASHVILLE, Tennessee ― Targeting relevant sleep problems for patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) improves cognition, results of a new, double-blind, randomized controlled trial suggested. Study findings show significant improvement in REM sleep and language scores for patients with TLE who took the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil and better slow-wave sleep and memory scores for … Read more
And that wasn’t all. The people in the study also improved their thinking skills in areas that weren’t targeted: sustained attention and working memory. It was the first evidence of the potential for therapeutic video games to target and enhance those abilities. But it wouldn’t be the last. Which brings us back to kids with … Read more
Consumption of flavonols may preserve memory and cognition over time, new research suggests. Three specific components of flavonols in particular — kaempferol, myricetin, and quercetin — were associated with slower global cognitive decline. Dr. Thomas Holland “It is never too early, or too late, to start making healthy lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to … Read more
A new study provides more evidence that insomnia may contribute to cognitive decline in older adults and shows that difficulty falling asleep in midlife may be most indicative of future cognitive impairment. Investigators found that having trouble falling asleep most nights (vs rarely/never) was equivalent to the effect of 2 to 3 years of aging … Read more
Intermittent fasting (IF), defined as fasting for more than eight hours at a time, is a trend that is growing in popularity. Yet new research shows it may be linked to eating disorder (ED) behaviors. Researchers from the University of Toronto analyzed data from more than 2,700 adolescents and young adults from the Canadian Study … Read more