Friday, December 30, 2011

Glia Cells and Plasticitiy

Every neuron in your brain is believed to have at least nine special assistants around the clock. Named Glia cells (Greek for “glue”), they help hold the brain’s neurons together and protect them, making neurotrophic food and helping to discard waste products. However, it appears Glia cells do much more than that. Researchers at Tel Aviv University believe that these Glia cells are central to the brain's plasticity. Rather than neuronal assistants they're much more like neuronal supervisors, controlling the transfer of information between neurons and impacting how the brain processes information and learns. A mechanism inside the Glia cells appears to regulate the synapses and sorts information for learning purposes. According to Professor Eshel Ben-Jacob, the brain functions much like a social network. Messages may originate with the neurons, which use the synapses as their delivery system, but the Glia serve as an overall moderator, regulating which messages are sent on and when. Happy New Year to you and your Glia Cells!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Brain and TV

U of Virginia studies: psychologists tested 4-year-old children immediately after they had watched nine minutes of SpongeBob SquarePants and found that their executive function (pay attention, solve problems and moderate behavior) had been severely compromised when compared to 4-year-olds who had either watched nine minutes of Caillou, (a slower-paced, realistic public television show) or had spent nine minutes drawing. Lead investigator, Angeline Lillard, suggests that parents consider these findings when making decisions about what to allow their young children to watch on TV – if they watch television at all. Since executive function is extremely important to children's success in school and in everyday life, she recommends that parents use creative learning activities, such as drawing, using building blocks and board games, and playing outdoors to help their children develop sound behaviors and learning skills.

Brains and Economics

Have you ever thought about the impact your brain's rate of aging can make to your country's economics? According to a study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (ILASA), cognitive function of older brains in a given country is a better indication of the impact of aging on that country's economy than age-distribution. Stands to reason. If the population of brains is "functionally" younger than the average for that chronological age, there will be less of a social and economic burden placed on that economy. This will impact families, communities, social services, and you name it. Looking at the big picture, this is just another reason to do everything you can to keep your brain functioning younger as you grow older. If you're not already spending TEN minutes a day reading aloud and THIRTY minutes a day doing brain aerobic exercises, start now. Use the free ones on my website as a start.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Handedness and the Brain

Are you left handed? Know someone who is? You might enjoy some of the information in an article that was recently published in the Wall Street Journal. For example:

• On average there is no significant difference in IQ between righties and lefties

• There is some evidence that lefties are better at divergent thinking, or starting from existing knowledge to develop new concepts,

• Lefties have an advantage in sports such as tennis, fencing and baseball, when up against a righthanded competitor, but not in noninteractive sports such as gymnastics.

Check it out.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Abuse Changes a Child's Brain

fMRI tudies at the University College of London: The brains of children raised in violent families resemble the brains of soldiers exposed to combat. As adults, children who were abused in childhood tend to exhibit high levels of aggression, anxiety, depression, and other behavioral problems. Exposure to family violence is estimated to impact a significant minority of children (physical abuse range from 4% to 16%). Intimate partner violence affects between 8% and 25% of children.