San Francisco Chronicle, Heidi Benson, Chronicle Staff Writer,
Thursday, December 13, 2007 -- Marathon-happy Baby Boomers, those 78 million Americans born from 1946 to '64, were the first generation to make a religion of physical fitness. Now, they are investing time and money to maintain what's above their six-pack abs and rippling biceps: their brains.

"People are living longer, and they want their brains to keep up with their bodies," said Lisa Schoonerman, who is on top of the trend.

She and her life partner, Jan Zivic, have opened a "brain gym," called vibrantBrains, on Sacramento Street in San Francisco.

"Studies show that regular mental workouts are WD-40 for the brain," Schoonerman said. "It's preventative maintenance."

This is music to the rock 'n' roll-addled ears of Boomers, who are hearing that Alzheimer's disease is on the rise, largely due to increased longevity. According to a recent study by Johns Hopkins University, instances of the disease will afflict 1 in 85 people worldwide by 2050.

As they "rage against the dying of the light," Boomers are clamoring for goods and services designed to defy aging and sharpen mental skills. Top among them are brain-training computer software programs and video games, including Nintendo's "Brain Age," which has sold 10 million copies since it went on the market two years ago.

All the latest programs and more are on the menu at vibrantBrains, which Schoonerman and Zivic have created as a neighborhood resource center, with classes, lectures and author appearances, plus drop-in computer brain-training sessions.

"You can come on your own or be part of a group," Zivic said. While health insurers and retirement communities are beginning to invest in such software, the founders of vibrantBrains believe theirs is the first storefront brain gym in a commercial setting.

They offer memberships, just like a gym ($60 per month), and cite studies that show people learn best in group settings. The space is convivial, with a dozen computer stations, a retail area stocked with books and software and a sunny sitting room where tea and "smart" snacks like walnuts - rich in Omega-3 fatty acids - are in reach.

Continue reading.


ONLINE RESOURCES

-- vibrantBrains
email: info@vibrantbrains.com

-- Alzheimer's Research Forum

-- Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center, National Institute on Aging, United States National Institutes of Health

-- Posit Science Corporation

-- Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Center on Aging

-- Brain Fitness for Life

-- Reclaim Your Brain

Labels: aging, boomers, brain, brain exercises, Memory

A neuropsychological evaluation (NPE or neuropsych test)) examines brain function and impairment. An NPE helps neuropsychologists determine and localize organic brain impairment. Utilizing test results helps the neuropsychologist develop rehabilitation programs for cognitively impaired patients.

We should remember that the training and experience of the person conducting the test can affect the reliability of the findings. We should also note that NPEs are not appropriate for everyone with cognitive deficits. Visit
eMedicine for more information about NPE.

There are many neuropsych tests being used today. These include:

*California Verbal Learning Test
*Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System
*Hayling and Brixton tests
*Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure
*Memory Assessment Scales
*Wechsler Memory Scale
*Luria-Nebraska Battery
*Halstead-Reitan Battery

We'll be looking at these (and many more) in upcoming posts to this blog. All will be under the Neuropsych Test header.

Labels: brain, neuropsych, neuropsychological evaluation, neuropsychologist

From Reuters:

New evidence shows that the human brain can manufacture fresh brain cells, researchers said, in a study that may lead to better ways to treat brain damage and disease.

"This study is exciting because it reveals a group of brain cells in the adult human brain that are continuously regenerating," said Dr. Mark Baxter of Britain's Oxford University.

Another expert, Sebastian Brandner, head of the Division of Neuropathology at the Institute of Neurology at University College London, said, "These findings are important for several reasons: Understanding stem cell biology is essential to study brain repair in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and it is even possible that stem cells are the source of some brain tumors."

Read entire article.

Labels: alzheimer's, brain, stem cells