Brain Fitness

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Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons. The more active a particular brain cell is, the more connections it develops with its neighboring neurons through a process called dendritic sprouting. A single neuron can have up to thirty thousand such connections, creating a dense web of interconnected activity throughout the brain. Each neuron can then be stimulated directly through experience (real or imagined) or indirectly through these connections from its neighbors, which saves the cell from cell death.

Physical exercise boosts the brain’s rate of neurogenesis throughout life, while mental exercise increases the rate at which those new brain cells survive and make functional connections into existing neural networks. Both physical exercise and the challenge from mental exercise increase the secretion of nerve growth factor, which helps neurons grow and stay healthy.

Mental stimulation

Consistent mental challenge by novel stimuli increases production and interconnectivity of neurons and nerve growth factor, as well as prevents loss of connections and cell death. The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) nationwide clinical trial is so far the nation's largest study of cognitive training. Researchers found that improvements in cognitive ability roughly counteract the degree of long-term cognitive decline typical among older people without dementia. The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002, showed significant percentages of the 2,802 participants age 65 and older who trained for five weeks for about 2 1/2 hours per week improved their memory, reasoning and information-processing speed.

Joe Verghese, M.D. found that people could reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s by 64% simply by raising their activity score by 1 point, and a 1-point increase corresponded to a reduction of dementia risk by 7%. That means that people could lower their dementia risk by 7% simply by adding one activity per week (such as doing a crossword puzzle or playing a board game) to their schedule. According to the findings of that same study, subjects who did crossword puzzles four days a week had a 47% lower risk of dementia than subjects who did a crossword puzzle just once a week.

Effective mental stimulation should provide:

* Novelty
* Variety
* Challenge
* Practice

I found this in the "Brain Fitness" entry on Wikipedia. It provided me with some amount of inspiration and hope:

My newest read is a book by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., and Sharon Begley -- The Mind & the Brain -- , Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force.

It speaks to the Brains ability to create new pathways (Neuroplasticity). I take it to mean this is a mechanism, which our brains can use to heal themselves given the right positive environment... Well, mine does not need healing, just less negative stimuli, such as the rants from teens not wishing to do their homework... sheeesh…

And if I could just get ‘Neuroplasticity’ working…. Life would be good… I’d like some new pathways that remind me where I put my keys…

I have heard of that before, but I did not know about the relationship between physical exercise and mental exercise. Interesting!

My newest read is a book by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., and Sharon Begley -- The Mind & the Brain -- , Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force.

It speaks to the Brains ability to create new pathways (Neuroplasticity). I take it to mean this is a mechanism, which our brains can use to heal themselves given the right positive environment... Well, mine does not need healing, just less negative stimuli, such as the rants from teens not wishing to do their homework... sheeesh…

And if I could just get ‘Neuroplasticity’ working…. Life would be good… I’d like some new pathways that remind me where I put my keys…

wait a minute it does say brain fitness. why did i confuse it with brian fitness?