[acb-diabetics] FW: Use your Brain

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Marin [mailto:fredemarin at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 9:43 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Use your Brain


Quick test: True or false. Puzzles and games are used as mental stimulation 
to prevent and repair memory loss.

Answer: True.

Just ask gerontologist Sharmone LaRose, a certified memory impairment 
specialist who is the department chairwoman for the Older Adult Program at 
Torrance
Adult School.

In her memory fitness classes, LaRose covers techniques to improve 
short-term and long-term memory and keep the brain healthy.

The key, she said, is to keep the mind stimulated and to learn new things.

Dr. Keith Black, the chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at 
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, agrees.

"Like a muscle, the brain needs to remain active, so continuing to challenge

the brain is a very key component to maintaining a healthy brain, 
particularly
as we get older," Black said.

"Puzzles and games are very good," he said. "But more importantly, if you've

been doing puzzles all your life, try something entirely different. It's the
challenge to learn a new task which has been shown to be very critical."

One game LaRose has her students play is the board game Reminiscing, in 
which a player spins a wheel to identify an era between 1940 and 2000. The 
player
must then answer a question about the era the wheel lands on.

LaRose says pulling information from the past like this helps stimulate 
long-term memory. As a bonus, games such as Reminiscing also promote social 
interaction.
"If
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you become socially isolated and have no interaction with others, you begin 
to digress mentally as well as physically," LaRose said.

"You begin to kind of get lost in your own thought and you just retreat, and

that's a big problem for anyone - but especially as we age, and many people
find themselves in that predicament if they're no longer physically capable 
of getting out. So that's important to stay socially engaged - the research
shows that."

There are numerous other ways to keep the mind sharp as well. Research shows

that physical exercise can help maintain cell regeneration in the brain, 
Black
said.

LaRose adds that cardiovascular exercise oxygenates the whole body and 
brings the endorphins up, which benefits brain function.

Like exercise, other aspects of a healthy lifestyle are found to help brain 
health.

"All the things that we know to be of practical use - limiting our alcohol 
intake is key and maintaining a good healthy diet is very key," Black said.

"Some of the things we are beginning to look at now are things like DHA, 
which is a component of fish oil which has been shown to be very helpful in 
promoting
brain health as well. So these are all things we know to do that we don't 
do, but studies are showing more and more how critical these things are to 
preventing
dysfunction as we get older."

DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is an omega-3 fatty acid. Other good sources 
of omega-3 are olive oil, flaxseed oil and nuts.

Antioxidants found in foods such as blueberries, acai berries and 
green-leafed vegetables also are important, LaRose said, while Black 
recommends pomegranate,
grape juice and grapes. The skin of the grape, he said, contains compounds 
that are good for the brain.

But more research is being done on how diet affects brain function.

"The other thing that we are beginning to investigate is the role of 
turmeric acid, or curry sauce, that's very high in Asian, Indian diets," 
Black said.
"It turns out that Asians and Indians have a much lower incidence of 
Alzheimer's disease and we believe it may have something to do with their 
high intake
of curry sauce."

Aside from diet, LaRose and Black recommend minimizing stress because it 
alters the immune system. A strong immune system helps maintain a healthy 
brain
by supporting nerve cells and nerve-cell regeneration.

Additionally, meditation has been found to be especially helpful for the 
brain's frontal lobe, while partaking in creative activities nourishes the 
right
side of the brain, LaRose said.

But even if people live the lifestyle recommended by LaRose and Black, there

is no guarantee they won't develop some form of dementia or be diagnosed 
with
Alzheimer's.

"We know that like any disease, with Alzheimer's there's a genetic component

and there's an environmental component and for some people the genetic 
component
is very strong and for others the environmental component is very strong," 
Black said.

"It's my gut impression that for a certain percentage of people who would 
ultimately come down with Alzheimer's disease, if they do things to alter 
their
lifestyle then, yes, I think they would ultimately either delay or totally 
prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. But we don't have conclusive 
studies
to prove that."

Being able to tell the difference between routine memory loss due to aging 
and a serious problem such as dementia is also important.

The Alzheimer's Association has 10 warning signs of a more severe condition:

. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

. Challenges in planning or solving problems.

. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.

. Confusion with time or place.

. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

. New problems with words in speaking or writing.

. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

. Decreased or poor judgment.

. Withdrawal from work or social activities.

. Changes in mood and personality.

Researchers are trying to find an accurate test to diagnose Alzheimer's 
disease versus other forms of dementia. Currently, doctors and psychiatrists

use
memory or cognitive tests to help determine the diagnosis, Black said.

But in terms of preventing brain dysfunction, the one thing Black says he is

sure about is that it's never too early - or too late - to start leading a
lifestyle conducive to brain health.

"The way to think of it is just like heart disease," Black said. "So we know

that you're more prone to get a heart attack when you're 60 years old or 
when
you're 50 years old, but the hardening of arteries - the arteriosclerosis - 
actually begins in your late 20s and 30s. So the earlier you start, the 
better,
but it's never too late."

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Brain Games

What: A class designed to improve memory by stimulating the mind through 
games and activities.

When: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesdays until July 12.

Where: Torrance Memorial Medical Center, 3330 Lomita Blvd.

Cost: $40; $35 for Advantage Health members and Torrance Memorial employees 
and volunteers.

Registration: 310-517-4666