A “cognitive reserve” is a good thing to work on!

Dave B and Alvaro have had an interesting (albeit, brief) discussion in their comments about the subject of the hypothetical “cognitive reserve” that stands between each one of us, and the timing of the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). First, Dave B said that while he saw ample evidence that most cognitively capable (“highly educated”)…

The wider face of PTSD

PTSD in Iraq spreads well beyond the boundaries of our armed services. For example: a) Several times as many Iraqi police and military personnel as Coalition personnel have died in the conflict. Proportionally larger numbers have been wounded. And they are out there, as are our own troops, on the front lines of violence and…

Just about any old bad thing increases the risk of onset of Alzheimer’s Disease

About 2 weeks ago, I read a Wall Street Journal article that documented a growing body of evidence that shows that major depression occurring in late middle age doubles the probability that an individual shall have significant cognitive impairments after the age of 65, and that it very significantly increases the probability that life shall…

Mea culpa

One of my favorite former research fellows, David Blake, has chided me for posting multiple blog entries on some days, followed by several entry-less days.  “Spread ’em out!”, says Dave.  “There should be something new and worthwhile to read EVERY day.” Since David is considerably smarter than me, and because he’s a real engineer who…

New “visual” fitness programs

It was big local news at Posit Science last week when its scientists and engineers completed the development of a new suite of intensive brain plasticity-based training programs targeting declining visual perception, visual attentional control, eye movement control, and related cognitive abilities — and released the programs internally, for evaluation by its “outcomes research” team.…

Welcome, informed citizens, students, professionals

The goal of this blog is to educate ourselves (you, and me) about the brain science underlying brain health. We shall have something to say, almost every day, on three grand subjects. First, this shall be a “No Spin Zone” on the subject of brain fitness. We’ll discuss discoveries and claims that inform us about…