by editor-oa | Aug 4, 2022 | Frontpage News
According to recent research, published in Neurology, certain areas of the brain are larger in physically active people than in those who are less active. That’s why the scientists conclude that even moderate physical activity has a positive effect on the brain.
In this study, researchers used data from the Rhineland Study and analyzed physical activity data from 2,550 volunteers aged 30 to 94 years, as well as brain images obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Physical activity of the study participants was assessed with the help of an accelerometer on their upper thigh for 7 days.
Lead author Fabienne Fox, neuroscientist, says: “We were able to show that physical activity had a noticeable effect on almost all brain regions investigated. Generally, we can say that the higher and more intense the physical activity, the larger the brain regions were, either with regard to volume or cortical thickness.”
by editor-oa | Jan 31, 2019 | Frontpage News
Recent research from the Columbia University finds that regular aerobic exercise can boost essential gray matter in all adults boosting memory and thinking skills.
For the study, a team of researchers followed 132 participants whose age was between 20 and 67 years. All participants were assigned to 6 months of either aerobic exercise or stretching and toning 4 times per week.
Study author Professor Yaakov Stern, of the Taub Institute for the Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University in New York, comments: “Since thinking skills at the start of the study were poorer for participants who were older, our findings suggest that aerobic exercise is more likely to improve age-related declines in thinking skills rather than improve performance in those without a decline.”
by doctor-c | Oct 5, 2018 | Frontpage News
A new study, conducted by researchers from Jaume I University in Castelló de la Plana, Spain, suggests that a hormone found in plants can reverse the brain damage caused by a high-fat diet.
For their study, the researchers fed mice with high-fat foods. The rodents developed inflammation of the nervous system which is similar to the Alzheimer’s disease. However, when plants were added to the diet, the damage was reversed due to the plant hormone called abscisic acid.
In the nearest future, the Spanish researchers are planning to investigate the common causes behind such conditions as dementia and insulin resistance.
by doctor-c | Jul 20, 2018 | Frontpage News
A new study from the Stevens School of Business in New Jersey, USA, finds that even coffee scent can sharpen the brain under certain conditions.
In the study, 114 students were involved. The participants were divided into two group and both had to answer mathematical questions. One group has been exposed to a coffee smell during the study. The scent was free from caffeine and other stimulants.
The researchers also executed a follow-up survey. They asked questions of 208 individuals not involved in the first test and found that a coffee scent was associated with being more alert and energetic, compared with other scents such as flowers, or with no scent.
Lead researchers of the study Adriana Madzhrov says: “Olfaction is one of our most powerful senses. Employers, architects, building developers, retail space managers and others, can use subtle scents to help shape employees’ or occupants’ experience with their environment.”
by doctor-c | Jul 6, 2018 | Frontpage News
A recent research, published in the European Respiratory Journal, finds that sleep apnea, a common disorder that interferes with the breathing while sleeping, is connected to the changes in brain structure similar to changes seen in early dementia.
For the study, 83 participants were involved with the age from 51 to 88. They reported memory and mood problems to their doctors. None of them was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) They underwent memory tests and MRI brain scans.
Having analyzed the received data, the scientists concluded that a low level of oxygen in blood during sleep was associated with the loss of thickness of the right and left temporal lobes of the brain. These brain structures play important role in memory processes and proved to be changed in dementia.
More information about Sleep Apnea and its symptoms you may find here.
