I am excited to tell you that the National Institutes of Health has just awarded us a competitive grant to develop a model, community-based Brain Health Program with the YMCA of San Francisco to improve brain health and lower dementia risk. We will be working with the Y to leverage the behavioral change infrastructure developed by the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) — a model curriculum for classes in diet and physical exercise to lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Developed by the YMCA, researchers, and government agencies, DPP has engaged 325,000+ participants through 3,000+ organizations, reducing new cases of type 2 diabetes by an estimated 58%. Our collaboration will include drawing on the knowledge of brain health experts at the University of California, San Francisco to reduce modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. We expect the new program to be developed and deployed in a feasibility study next year. You can learn more about this project in a press release here and also at this website. |
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Best regards, Jeff Zimman Co-founder Posit Science |
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| | A Simpler Way to Diagnose Alzheimer’s It isn’t easy to diagnose Alzheimer’s. It generally takes a series of tests that can take weeks or months to conduct. But using a new algorithm with MRI technology, scientists have now developed a single test that can diagnose Alzheimer’s with 98% accuracy. What’s more, the test can detect early-stage Alzheimer’s in most cases. Learn more. |
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Cannabis and the Brain There is a surprising lack of research on cannabis use and the brain, especially given the efforts to legalize marijuana. But one consistent finding is that long-term heavy cannabis use in students (more than once a week, at least) is correlated with lower cognitive performance in midlife. Memory, attention, and processing speed were particularly affected. Learn more. You can also read a column from Dr. Henry Mahncke on this topic. |
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Your Brain Is So Hot!!! Scientists have recently learned that healthy human brains run hotter than the average body temperature, clocking in at an average of 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (and often much warmer). Why might that be, and what are the implications? Find out. |
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Get Your Walk On A new study from Colorado State University showed that older people who walked briskly for 40 minutes three times a week didn’t just experience a physical boost—they also boosted their brains. Not only did their performance on memory tests improve, brain scans showed their white matter was more robust compared to people who did stretching exercises or dance routines. Learn more. |
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Just for Fun: New Optical Illusion What do you see when you look at the image in this article? For most people, the black area seems to grow, although (of course) it is not really changing at all. It’s all about what our eyes and brains perceive. So what is happening? Find out. |
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The Pros of Predictability in Parenthood What kids experience in childhood has a profound effect on their brain development. Dr. Tallie Baram has spent many years studying how parenting affects children’s neurological development. One of her findings: unpredictable or inconsistent parenting has a deleterious effect, leading to a higher risk of substance abuse and mental illness. Learn more. |
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Taming Your Amygdala: Brain-Based Strategies to Quiet the Anxious Mind (2022) By Catherine M. Pittman For people with anxiety, it can be very hard not to feel overwhelmed, stuck, unable to do the things you want (and even need) to do. Clinical psychologist Catherine Pittman might be able to help. In Taming Your Amygdala, she helps the reader understand how the brain becomes prisoner to anxiety, and what to do about it. Learn more. |
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