BrainTrackers.com Special Report on Alzheimer's

1. New study finds that highly developed language skills at a younger age can reduce risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

For many years, a study that tracked nuns belonging to the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, MN has produced interesting theories about the origin and nature of Alzheimer's disease. Through the study, researchers found that compared to their less intellectually minded sisters, nuns with better education and verbal skills as young adults in their 20s were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease in old age. And now new research published recently in the journal Neurology offers an "intriguing twist" to the data.

Specifically, investigators from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD autopsied the brains of 38 nuns, including 10 with Alzheimer's, 5 with mild dementia, 13 with no brain abnormalities and 10 with "asymptomatic" Alzheimer's. In this last group, the nuns had developed plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that usually lead to dementia, but did not have any behavioral symptoms of the disease. The researchers reviewed essays that the asymptomatic nuns had written, finding that those essays contained more developed ideas than writings produced by the 10 nuns with Alzheimer's. They also found that the cells and neurons in the brains of the asymptomatic group were larger, which they believe may potentially compensate for the damaged Alzheimer's afflicted cells.

2. Brain Map Your Way to a Better You
The use of brain mapping (an FDA-approved procedure) to enhance brain function is a fascinating technology that can pinpoint brain dysfunction at various levels. After the mapping is done, a neurofeedback training program is then designed based on an individual's needs. The goal of the program is to boost the brain's ability to perform better at different tasks. So it helps with cognitive function, memory and concentration and the brain's processing/learning abilities. It would be a useful tool for anyone concerned with optimizing brain function. If you have any interest in the subject of brain mapping your way to a better you, you may wish to check out an interesting site called BrainTrackers.com. They go beyond simple brain mapping/neurofeedback to true behavior modification on a number of levels. They tout the procedure for performance enhancement for students, people in the arts, business and sports, but it's useful to guard against the effects of aging, as well.

3. GAMES TO BUILD A BETTER BRAIN
Just about any game or puzzle, including quizzes, that you find intriguing can help stimulate your brain. Here's a look at some games that are fun and challenging and, best of all, free.

1. Crossword Puzzles: Everyone's old favorite, crossword puzzles, are updated and available online at many sites and you can usually choose your puzzle's topic and your skill level.

2. Sudoku: This challenging, fun and incredibly addictive number game may very well become the crossword puzzle of the 21st century. You can find it in many newspapers, the TV Guide and even online.

3. Brain Puzzles: If you have five houses in five different colors, and in each house lives someone with a different nationality, pet and favorite drink, can you use 10 clues to find out who owns the fish? This is the type of addictive puzzle that will wrack your brain and improve it at the same time.

4. Brain Teasers: Brain teasers, riddles, logic problems, quizzes and mind puzzles all serve to improve your brain health and you can do them everyday.

5. Brain Training: Interactive brain-training exercises will help you to build mental stamina for sustained concentration, much as aerobics builds physical stamina for sustained exertion.

Courtesy: J Bartell. For more information on brain health, self-improvement, visit BRAINTRACKERS.COM-PEAK PERFORMANCE SPECIALISTS

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