New research published in the July issue of Cognition indicates that using gestures while studying can dramatically improve learning and memory.

The study, done by Susan Wagner Cook at the University of Rochester,

This important strategy should help improve your learning efficiency and memory. It’s presented in college student context, but of course applies to anyone looking for a good study tip.

You’ve decided you’ve got four hours this weekend to review for your psychology exam. Is it better to do it all in one 4-hour session, or divide it up into four separate 1-hour sessions? The first strategy is referred to as massed practice, and the second is referred to as distributed practice.

This article reveals what modern neuroscience has learned about sleep as it applies to learning and memory. I believe this information can be of great benefit not only to students looking to improve their study skills, but to anyone interested in improving their memory and learning potential.

New research out of Northwestern University’s Neuroscience Laboratory drastically changes our understanding of the brain.

The study, to appear in the April issue of

Can certain smells boost brain power? Let’s first take a look at what else certain odors can do:

• Stores are now using special odors to make customers buy things and spend more money
• The leathery smell of a new car is an artificial odor sprayed on to enhance buyer satisfaction
• Casinos are using odors to make people gamble more

Your mental energy and ability to concentrate depend to a very large extent on the types of food you eat. Unfortunately, most people fall short when it comes to understanding how to best feed the brain. Here’s a short tip you may find helpful:

One of the main benefits of stimulant drugs (such as cocaine, ephedrine, and amphetamines like Ritalin) is their ability to dramatically increase mental energy and concentration. They can make it easier to focus on your work and studies for prolonged periods of time.

How is this achieved? Basically, it’s thought that psychostimulants increase catecholamine

Can college students pull an ‘All-Nighter’—staying up the entire night to cram for a test—and have their brains function close to normal the next day? The majority, of course, think so …

But several studies clearly show brain function takes a big hit after an all-nighter. Memory systems and

If you’ve ever tried to chew Vivarin instead of swallowing it, you’re well aware of the fact that caffeine- as available in its raw form- has a horrible, bitter taste.

One of the greatest misunderstandings people have about the brain is their belief in “free energy”.

Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words…

(Noever, R., J. Cronise, and R. A. Relwani. 1995. Using spider-web patterns to determine toxicity. NASA Tech Briefs 19(4):82. Published in New Scientist magazine, 27 April 1995.)

The neurologic theory of Consolidation states that things you learn during the day are etched more permanently down in memory at night while you sleep. In other words, sleep plays a major role in learning and memorizing.

Recent research out of Washington University suggests a great study tip for students:

Does listening to Mozart make you smarter? According to a landmark neuroscience research study out of the University of California, Mozart’s sonata for two pianos K448 (which you can listen to below) can increase your spatial-temporal IQ scores by 9 points

While traveling this Thanksgiving holiday, we spent quite a bit of time on airplanes and long car trips. Usually we have a mini DVD movie player to keep the kids entertained (and quiet!), but several months ago it broke.

So my wife went out and got them the Leapster learning game system.

Today I received an email from someone who runs a memory and learning improvement internet business. It was the kind of email that gets blasted to thousands of inboxes simultaneously. Although I’ve never purchased any of their products, I always got the impression it was fairly reputable.

There have been several studies lately that reveal how bad sleep disordered breathing can be for your brain.

Now, a recent article published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine

A new study out of Boston University and UCLA and published in the journal Current Biology, confirms that learning is more efficient when multiple senses are involved.

Students who study for many hours on end should take note of a new study done by David Foster and other researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The study supports the idea that taking regular breaks can improve learning and memory formation.

I’ve come to realize over time that [average ability + love of what you do] can greatly outperform [superior ability + average interest in what you do]. I’m convinced that deep interest triggers some truly magical neurochemical changes in your brain that allow for top performance.

Many are using Nintendo’s Brain Age game to boost their brain power.
Here are two more powerful tools, however, you can add to your brain
gym:

• Dance Dance Revolution
• In the Groove

[Two videos follow at the end of the article]

As pharmaceutical companies come out with newer, more effective brain boosting pills (see an earlier post on ampakines), more and more people will be chiming in on the ethics of brain enhancement.

A recent Harvard University newspaper article suggests that many Harvard students casually rely on prescription

A new study published in the European Child Adolescent Psychiatry seems to indicate that pine bark extract is effective for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The extract is called Pycnogenol, which is derived from the bark of the French maritime pine.

Many students believe they don’t do well academically because they were “born with a bad memory”.

I’ve always believed, however, that memory ability depends in large part upon what strategies are being used. And since strategies are things that can be taught, a bad memory can easily be improved and good memory can be made great.