Topic: brain health
If you’re someone who plans ahead—you keep your finances in order, maintain your home, and map out your next chapter before embarking—you already understand the value of routine maintenance. The same principle applies to your health. And one of the determinants of health that’s often overlooked? The potential for chronic inflammation. …
Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge and mastering skills throughout life. And it has been found to be particularly beneficial to the brain as we age.
Learning is for everybody, regardless of health status or condition. By challenging your brain and learning new things throughout your life, you can help build your cognitive reserve. …
Research supports how small, manageable lifestyle changes can be powerful, lasting ways to improve brain health and reduce your risk of developing dementia. It is never too late to start.
You have likely adopted many of these healthy habits already. Congratulations and keep up the good work! Any change you make to positively impact brain health will also benefit your physical, emotional, mental, and cognitive health. And who doesn’t want to feel better? …
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Here are some evidence-based approaches to boost brain health and lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. …
Better Brain Health: What’s good for your heart is good for your brainRead More »
It’s not unusual to hear the terms dementia and Alzheimer’s used interchangeably, though they are not synonymous; they have different meanings. Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a broad range of symptoms; dementia is a syndrome, not a disease. Dementia is a decline in cognitive function that is typically not reversible. …
What’s the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?Read More »
This past December, one week after her 64th birthday, a childhood friend had a fatal heart attack. To be honest, I’m still in a bit of shock over this loss, as she had been part of my life and significant events for over 50 years.
My friend’s death prompted me to learn more about symptoms and risks for heart attacks in women, as well as prevention. This is good information for men too! …
Time for a Heart-to-Heart About Women’s Heart Health*Read More »
A lack of insight or awareness is when a person living with a form dementia or a brain injury is unable to recognize changes in their behavior and emotions.
Adult children may interpret this as a parent being difficult or in denial. However, the part of the brain that is damaged, often by Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body dementia, or a stroke, is what is affecting the individual’s inability to see these changes. It is related to loss of activity in areas in the front of a person’s brain, known as the frontal lobes. …
Do you find yourself more easily distracted these days? There is good reason: Concentration is about keeping what’s useful top of mind while at the same time suppressing thoughts that distract from your primary objective. As we age, the “executive” center of the brain becomes less able to sort out distractions. It’s a filtering process that requires heavy brainpower. Many people worry that lapses in concentration are an early sign of Alzheimer’s. Not necessarily. While memory and focus are related, they are not the same thing. …
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the medical name for memory problems that exceed the “normal forgetfulness of aging” but are less than associated with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. If you have received a diagnosis of MCI, you are at risk for continued significant cognitive decline. Each year about 10–15% of persons with MCI receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, as compared to 1–3% of all older adults. …
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and what you can doRead More »
While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with challenges, it has also taught us lessons. Likely, you have tapped into your emotional reserves and discovered how resilient you are during this time.
Brain health, of which mental health is an essential component, has been at the forefront of many conversations with family, friends, and colleagues during the pandemic. We have all experienced varying levels of uncertainty, stress, anxiety, and grief during this time. Our brain health has helped us manage and process these emotions as well as exercise resilience.
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