It is an old adage that “we are what we eat.” Current research is proving that this is no old wives tale especially when it comes to our brains. The Peninsula Medical School and the University of Reading studied the ability of blueberries to improve memory. The results of this research showed that fruits like blueberries, which are high in phytochemicals, can improve and even reverse age-related memory deficits while offering many other health benefits for the body. The studies also show that improvements are possible for both long term and short term memory function. Read more →

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects the central nervous system and causes an impairment of speech and motor skills. Parkinson’s disease affects 1 in 100 people that are over 60 years of age and has a nearly equal incidence rate in women and men. It is second only to Alzheimer’s disease as the most common neurodegenerative disease. Five to ten percent of Parkinson’s patients have an early onset around the age of 40 or younger. Read more →

It has been known for years that babies in utero (womb) suffer ill effects from their mothers’ exposure to tobacco, drugs and alcohol. A new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and performed by Michael Rivkin of Children’s Hospital Boston showed that children exposed to these toxins may suffer effects well into early adolescence.

Using MRI technology, the study looked into the long term effects of prenatal exposure to drugs, alcohol, tobacco or a combination of the three on the brain structure of preteens. The study found that these kids have thinner cortical grey matter than subjects who did not suffer exposure to toxins in utero. This study also showed a reduction in brain volume directly tied to this exposure. Read more →

Researchers at the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND) and Washington University School of Medicine have recently shifted their focus of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research from understanding the role that plaques and other neurological changes play in the progression of AD. Now they are looking at the time period and order in which plaques and neurological changes like dementia and senility occur in the progression of AD. Read more →

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a poorly understood disease that affects patients at an early age and, usually, lasts a lifetime. Factors that predispose to the development of MS include genetics, geographic location, sex and birth month, suggesting an interesting nature-nurture interaction in this disease process.

The increased rate of MS at high latitudes has been demonstrated in many studies, with those living in the Northern United States and Canada at a higher risk than those closer to the equator. This geographical influence is most commonly linked to the decreased (UV) radiation in these locations. UV light is a requirement for the production of vitamin D, and it is this effect that is most commonly thought to increase the risk of MS. Read more →

Approximately every 15 seconds, someone in America suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are about 1,500,000 new brain injuries each year. Most of these are mild concussions — which can have lasting cognitive effects — but many are much more severe. Approximately 50,000 Americans die each year as the result of brain injury; in fact it is the leading cause of death in Americans under the age of 45. There are three times as many deaths resulting from brain injuries each year than result from AIDS in the U.S. There are more TBIs each year than new cases of all types of cancer combined. Granted, cancer tends to be more lethal with roughly 500,000 deaths per year to 50,000 from TBI but TBIs are still very serious. TBIs have received relatively little attention, especially compared with the widespread campaigns raising awareness for diseases like breast cancer or HIV/AIDS. Some people have started calling TBIs a “silent epidemic.” Read more →