I am a word of letters six,

“ertaining to the mind;”

Rearrange my letters, and I’ll “grieve,”

Because you are unkind;

Rearrange once more, and you have made

“A cloak” of me, you will find.

If you can figure this out, you can enter your answer into the ‘comment’ section below. Will unmask answers by Wednesday, thanks.

For my premiere on Smartkit I would like to present a series of 5 logic puzzles. The first one, below,  is easy-medium in difficulty while the other four will be harder.

These logic puzzles are intended to promote debate and provide you with Aha! moments. For each of them I will post a widely accepted solution. Good luck!

1st logic puzzle:

Alice shuffled the deck of cards and began dealing them (unclockwise, 1 card/person at a time). During the process the telephone rang and Alice had to answer it. When she was back nobody remembered where exactly had she stopped dealing. Without counting any cards nor collecting them, how did Alice manage to finish up dealing the cards correctly?

Answers can always be entered into the ‘comment’ section below; will reveal what you submit in a couple days, thanks.

Adding to the evidence that sleep apnea induces structural abnormalities in the brain- a new study out of UCLA shows patients with Sleep Apnea have shrunken mammillary bodies (brain structures important for memory function). Click here to read the abstract.

Here’s the press release from the UCLA website.

The July issue of Neurology Today discusses how the same pathologist (world-renowned Dr. Bennet Omalu, MD out of the University of Pittsburgh) has autopsied the brain of Justin Strzelczyk, a Pittsburgh Steelers lineman who died in a car crash at age 36.

Interestingly, Dr. Omalu finds that Strzelczyk’s brain also has the appearance of an 80 year old man, and shows similar pathologic changes compared to what Andre Waters had in his brain.

This is the 4th football player brain Dr. Omalu has autopsied and diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Within several years time, I suspect more and more studies will come forth showing how widespread brain damage is amongst NFL players.

And next up will be the soccer players. Already, well over a dozen studies indicate heading induces measurable cognitive deficits.

Most people are surprised to learn just how fragile and easily damaged the human brain really is.

Ecstasy damages your brain

A new study, to be published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental [Authors Keith Laws and Joy Kokkalis from the University of Hertfordshire] shows that the drug ecstasy [MDMA] moderate to markedly damages both short and long-term memory.

The study was a meta-analysis.

Verbal memory appeared to be disproportionately affected compared to visual memory.

Another brand new study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, shows that even a first low cumulative dose of Ecstasy is associated with damaged verbal memory ability. [Ref. 1]

According to another recent meta-analysis, Ecstasy use is associated with multiple neurocognitive deficits: [Ref 2]

• attention/concentration
• verbal and nonverbal learning and memory
• psychomotor speed and executive systems

[Reference 1]: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007 Jun;64(6):728-36.

[Reference 2]: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Jan;189(4):531-7.

This article presents a review of Mindfit- a new computer program geared to train your brain. Many brain fitness programs have been released over the past year, and I have found this to be one of the most promising. As such, we’ve decided it’d be an appropriate addition to the smartkit store.

In a nutshell, Mindfit is a computerized brain gym designed to be used over an 8-12 month period of time (although you can still practice with the exercises after your training period is over).

It starts with several evaluation sessions, which are used to tailor the computer exercises to your specific abilities. The developers refer to this system as ITS- an Individualized Training System that adapts the difficulty level of the exercises to your abilities and performance as you advance.

After the evaluation session is complete, you train on Mindfit three times per week, 20 minutes a day, for 8 weeks. This process is repeated 3 times for a total of 3 rounds and 72 training sessions.

One important feature of Mindfit is that it continually provides feedback and analyzes your performance as you progress.

Another nice feature of Mindfit is that it tackles multiple cognitive domains. Many people think that by doing crossword puzzles every day (or more recently Sudoku puzzles), they’re doing a great job of exercising their brains. Unfortunately, this is just not true. To best train and sharpen your mind, you need to challenge it with lots of different puzzle types and activities. Novelty and challenge are crucial- otherwise you just won’t get the optimal benefit. Mindfit takes this into account, and features 14 skill areas that it goes to work on. These include:

• Working Memory
• Visual Short term memory
• Auditory short term memory
• Spatial Perception
• Planning
• Location Memory
• Naming
• Time estimation
• Inhibition
• Divided attention
• Hand-eye coordination

Is Mindfit for everybody? No. The exercises and overall difficulty level of the programs are mainly geared towards seniors, so I think those who are 50+ will find it most useful. However, because the software adapts to each individuals ability, even those younger can be challenged. Importantly, the developers have done an excellent job in making this software extremely easy to use. I suspect those who’ve never even sat down with a computer before will find it simple to set up and get started.

Over the last several years, quite a bit of research has come out showing that brain training exercises can in fact boost cognitive function (Click here to read about one of the most recent studies that appeared in JAMA, click here to read about a double-blind clinical trial that specifically showed MindFit improved short-term memory, spatial processing and attention/focus). For seniors looking to invest in a computerized brain gym, Mindfit represents a sophisticated piece of software that’s surprisingly easy to use.

Mindfit Demos:

Mindfit Demo #1: "Colored Walls"

Mindfit Demo #2: Picture Match"

MindFit Demo#3: Shape Arrangement"

People who are chronically distressed are 40 percent more likely to develop Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia syndromes.

These findings are consistent with dozens of earlier studies showing stress damages the hippocampus- the memory engine of the brain.

A related post relates how stress is sticky, and where in the brain it settles.

[Reference]: Chronic distress and incidence of mild cognitive impairment. R. S. Wilson, J. A. Schneider, P. A. Boyle, S. E. Arnold, Y. Tang, and D. A. Bennett. Neurology 2007 68: 2085-2092

Researchers in Ireland have found that brain exercises in the form of rote memorization of poems, articles, and short stories leads to memory improvement.

The study was done on healthy adults aged between 55 and 70. They underwent six weeks of intensive brain exercises involving rote memorization of a newspaper articles or poems of 500 words, followed by six weeks of rest.

Interestingly, the improvement was not seen immediately. When the study participants were tested 6 weeks later, however, a clear improvement in verbal and episodic memory was noted.

Furthermore, changes were actually detected in the hippocampus via high tech brain scans called Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS).

Dr. Richard Roche, a co-author of the study from the Department of Psychology at National University of Ireland in Maynooth:

The brain is like a muscle that should be exercised through the retirement years as a defense against dementia, cognitive lapses and memory failure

You can read more about the rote memory training study here. For an earlier smartkit article that discusses how brain training exercises can improve memory and cognitive function, click here.

For computer software that can enhance cognitive function, check out this review of  Mindfit  

[Reference: McNulty, J,. Paul Brennan, M.D., Colin P. Doherty, M.D., D. McMackin, M.D., S. Sukumaran, M.D., I.H. Robertson, Ph.D., M.A. Mangaoang, Ph.D., S.M. O'Mara, D.Phil., Sinead L. Mullally, Ph.D., J. Hayden, B.A., J. Prendergast, B.Sc., and M. Fitzsimons, Ph.D.. The Identification of Neurometabolic Sequelae Post-learning Using Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Presented November 26 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)]

Researchers at the American Academy of Neurology 59th Annual Meeting presented preliminary results from a study showing that long term exposure to secondhand smoke alone increases your risk for dementia by about 30%.

If you’re interested in learning more about the potential mechansim by which cigarattes destroy your brain, click here to read this earlier post. 

Reference: American
Academy of Neurology 59th Annual Meeting: Abstract S01.005. April 28 – May
5, 2007.

2223 healthy men and women between the ages of 32 and 62 were studied. Those who were overweight (as judged by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25) performed worse on cognitive tests that measured learning and memory ability.

Interestingly, these findings held up even when the cognitive test scores were adjusted for high blood pressure and diabetes (both brain busters tend to be more common in those who are obese).

Earlier smartkit posts discuss how:

• children who are obese by age 4 are more likely to have lower IQ scores (25-30 points)
• the appetite control hormone leptin has recently been found to have an important role in learning and memory.

[Click here to jump to the abstract for the above 'obesity and brain power' study in the journal Neurology 2006;67:1208-1214]

Here’s some new research that will come as a surprise to most neurologists: Moderate iron deficiency- without overt anemia- can impair learning and memory.

Importantly, the study found that iron supplementation can reverse the cognitive dysfunction.

The study was published in the March 2007 issue American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Women who are pregnant or have heavy bleeding during their periods are felt to be most at risk for iron deficiency.

The study’s authors conclude:

Iron status is a significant factor in cognitive performance in women of reproductive age

To view the abstract, click here.

While earlier research has shown that iron deficiency can have a significant effect on the developing child’s brain power (e.g., poor school performance) the recent research breaks new ground in showing the susceptibility of adult brains to even mild to moderate iron deficiency without obvious anemia.

Marijuana

This bit really caught me by surprise: Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found that the active ingredient in marijuana (THC) appears to be quite effective in preventing the brain buildup of amyloid plaque. Amyloid is one of the main pathologic markers for Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, the study found that THC also inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This is the mechanism by which current Alzheimer drugs work to improve symptoms (but not reverse underlying disease process).

Kim Janda, PhD at Scripps notes:

While we are certainly not advocating the use of illegal drugs, these findings offer convincing evidence that THC possesses remarkable inhibitory qualities, especially when compared to AChE inhibitors currently available to patients

For a link to the article’s abstract, click here. To read the release on the Scripps Research Institute web site, click here.

Club Moss & Huperzine A

The National Institutes of Health is conducting a study to examine the effectiveness of Huperzine A, a natural chemical derived from an herb called Chinese Club Moss.

If you know someone with Alzheimer’s disease who may be interested in enrolling in this drug study, click here for a list of U.S. drug trial sites.

If you’d like to learn more about what Club Moss and Huperzine do in the brain, click here for an earlier smartkit post.

A study conducted by researchers out of Stanford University Medical Center in California indicates that children who are exposed to severe stress (i.e., physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, witnessing violence or experiencing lasting separation and loss) are more likely to have a shrunken hippocampus.

As pointed out in previous posts, the hippocampus is the “memory engine” of the brain. A weak hippocampus means poor memory ability.

Study author Victor Carrion, MD notes: “Although everyday levels of stress are necessary to stimulate normal brain development, excess levels can be harmful”.

As far as the underlying pathophysiology, the authors further discuss how severe stress increases blood cortisol levels. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid type hormone, and many studies in the past have shown how cortisol is neurotoxic to hippocampal brain cells.

An earlier post also details how Perception of Control determines the extent to which stress is toxic to your brain and body. Children, unfortunately, are much less likely to feel they’re in control of situations. Joe Herbet, professor of neuroscience at Cambridge University notes:

There is increasing evidence that adversity in early life can have long-lasting results on subsequent mental and physical health

Although I probably wouldn’t recommend this for your kids, if you have a few minutes to spare, the Interactive Buddy is a great stress reducer.

[Reference for Stanford research on stress and the pediatric brain: PEDIATRICS Vol. 119 No. 3 March 2007, pp. 509-516]

Is the brain like the muscles in your body? Can it be trained with cognitive exercises to improve mental agility and sharpness as you get older?

Quite a bit of research has come out lately indicating that the answer to this question is a resounding ‘Yes’.

The most recent research I’ve come across is the ACTIVE study (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly), published in the December issue of JAMA (reference below). The amazing findings indicate a mere 10 training sessions (each lasting 60-75 minutes) over a five week period was enough to significantly improve cognitive ability and brain power. Importantly, the brain boosting effect lasted more than five years.

The benefits were actually quite impressive. Dr. Sherry Willis, one of the chief authors of the study, notes: "The improvements seen after training roughly counteract the degree in decline in cognitive performance that we would expect to see over a 7-14 year period among older people without dementia".

The study included 2,832 participants over the age of 65.

For those over 50 looking for computer software that serves as a brain gym, check out our review of Mindfit brain trainig program.

JAMA. 2006;296:2805-2814. Long-term Effects of Cognitive Training on Everyday Functional Outcomes in Older Adults.

Now, a recent study published in the journal Neurology indicates that this may not be true.

The study looked at 40 people over the age of 60 who complained of memory problems but still had normal performance on detailed neuropsychological testing (i.e. cognitive and memory testing). Interestingly, the researchers found these patients actually had a significant reduction in brain gray matter in several regions:

• Bilateral hippocampal areas (the hippocampus is critical for memory function)
• Bilateral frontal regions
• Several other cortical and subcortical regions

In addition to enhancing the credibility of a patient’s insight when it comes to memory function, this study also raises another very important issue: Detailed memory tests may not be very sensitive at picking up organic memory impairment

Reference: Older adults with cognitive complaints show brain atrophy similar to that of amnestic MCI. NEUROLOGY 2006;67:834-842