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

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

Just finished reading about another new “disorder” that, according to a recent study, up to 16 million Americans (7.3 percent of the population) may have: Intermittent Explosive Disorder.

I’m going to add this to a list of other bogus psychiatric diagnosis: (All found in the DSM-IV)

• Sibling Rivalry Disorder

Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, Concerta, Metadate, Dexedrine, Focalin, Cylert, Attenade. All are stimulants used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD). They are also all drugs that have been tried or used by 15-30% of college students to get ahead academically.

Now a

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]

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.

A study out of the University of Adelaide, to be published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, shows that

Ampakines are a class of proprietary drugs that are being developed by Cortex Pharmaceuticals and its partners. These compounds are thought to be potentially useful in improving memory and concentration in people who have ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease. Many are hopeful that the drugs will help improve cognition and performance in those that are normal and healthy.

Not too long ago, I posted how over the long term, meditation can actually increase the size of the brain. Specifically, it thickens the cerebral cortex in areas important for attention and concentration.

I came across another study, though, that shows meditation over the short term can also

This helpful bit should be of use to college students, busy executives, and anyone else who is dependent on high levels of concentration and brain power.

It turns out there is a growing body of research that shows, amazingly:

• Exposure to green outdoor settings (parks, trees, grassy backyards, etc…) can

A recent study out of the University of Michigan School of Medicine showed that 11 out of 22 children were cured of their ADHD when their enlarged tonsils were removed.

Large tonsils are thought to lead to breathing problems during sleep.

The results from this recent study out of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are very unsettling:

After just 3 months of use, Ritalin has been found to significantly damage children’s DNA (Cancer Letters 2005;230:284-91).

A 2006 study out of the Division of Neuroscience and The Brain Research Center at University of British Columbia Hospital nicely summarizes one of the core teachings of brain enhancement:

• Regular doses of exercise can “massively increase” the growth of new brain cells in your brain.

The best part of it all, however, is the specific location

If your ability to concentrate and pay attention is bad enough to the point you’ve been told you have ADHD, the results from this new study may offer you some hope of brain enhancement without amphetamines.

The 2006 article from the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids found that:

Children in elementary and middle school typically need 9.5 - 10 hours of sleep per night (probably closer to 10). When they only get 8-9 hours of sleep, their brain function and ability to learn drops markedly. Surprisingly, research studies seem to indicate just this 1 extra hour of sleep a night can make a very large difference.

For years it was thought (and taught!) that the brain can not create and make new brain cells.

This is false. Numerous studies have now conclusively proven otherwise.

What is really interesting, however, is that new studies show that the hippocampus- the memory engine of your mind- can actually

Are you eating all organic yet? Organic foods taste much better. They’re vastly superior in nutrient content. But if these reasons aren’t good enough, here’s a fairly compelling one:

There have been numerous studies linking chronic, low-level pesticide exposure to

A chemical widely used in manufacturing plastic food & drink containers and food bags can lead to brain damage and impair memory and learning. The culprit is Bisphenol A, aka BPA.

A recent study out of Massachussetts General Hospital found that meditating actually increases the thickness of the brain in areas involved in attention and sensory processing.

Studies of students at colleges report that a whopping 16% or more had tried Ritalin.  This sort of thing was unheard of back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

With drug company profits in excess of $3 billion per year for ADHD drugs alone, I’m almost inclined to post a link to a picture of what a real drug kingpin looks like…

A fairly recent study showed that zinc supplementation can improve brain power.