Category: brain health

Can you teach an old dog new tricks – or at least juggling – and increase gray matter density in the brain ?

Image via Wikipedia You might, or might not, be an old dog – but we all want to be able keep on learning and ‘growing’. Yesterday, I wrote about a couple papers that demonstrated how learning to juggle increased gray matter density in a particular region of the brain (middle temporal area of the visual…

How playing the court jester can improve your brain

The court jester’s (harlequin) job was to entertain the court with his/her music and juggling abilities. The court members laughed at the jester (maybe not with him), but possibly the jester had the last laugh since his various entertaining endeavors possibly promoted in his brain greater plasticity and health. All this week I will discuss…

Exercise for healthy new neurons: even in middle age

Here is a follow-up to my Monday post on the quick rebound from an exercise layoff in the important brain health protein brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A new paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology examined running, BDNF, trkB, neurogenesis (new neurons), and neurite outgrowth (branching of the new neurons) in middle age rodents.…

A layoff results in aerobic deconditioning what about the brain?

I have previously written a few times about how quickly deconditioning of aerobic fitness occurs after an exercise layoff (see here and here), but what about brain health? I have a perfect reason for writing this new piece because with my recent travel schedule (multiple cities, multiple meetings, etc), busy conferences, and maybe an extra…

How old are your arteries ?

How healthy are your arteries that supply the blood to your brain (carotid arteries)? Your brain health is influenced by getting an adequate blood supply. What do you think happens to your brain health if it is not getting sufficient blood supply due to blocked unhealthy arteries? A frightening new study (abstract published at the…