A recent study found that learning to play an instrument alters brain waves, improving listening and hearing skills in older adults. The study demonstrates the brain's ability to rewire itself and compensate for injuries or diseases.
Dr. Randy McIntosh's team developed the Virtual Brain Project, an integrated computer model of a fully functioning human brain to help detect dementia and brain diseases earlier. The platform allows for testing potential treatments before prescribing them to patients.
Researchers discovered brain structure changes in older adults without noticeable memory problems, using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test. These findings suggest that brain imaging may predict dementia years prior to diagnosis.
A new group language intervention has been developed to help individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) maintain their communication abilities. The 10-week intervention includes working on language activities and learning communication strategies, resulting in improved or unchanged communication assessments for patients.
The Baycrest Memory Clinic will pool anonymous medical records from clinics across Toronto to accelerate dementia research and provide access to better integrated care for patients. The database will allow TDRA researchers to share research data across institutions and access a greater pool of volunteer research participants.
A comprehensive neuropsychological study of retired professional hockey players found they reported cognitive and psychosocial challenges, despite performing well on objective tests. The study suggests a link between concussion history and executive functioning, and genetic factors may play a role in psychiatric symptoms.
The Brain Health Food Guide provides evidence-based dietary advice for older adults, highlighting the importance of a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Research suggests that following this guide can decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 36% and mild cognitive impairment by 27%.
Researchers have discovered a new potential predictor of early dementia through abnormal brain activity in older adults with no noticeable communication problems. Brain regions that process speech were found to be more resilient to Alzheimer's disease, but showed changes that predicted mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Scientists have pinpointed the specific part of the brain that helps older adults differentiate speech sounds in background noise. The study found that the speech motor area of the frontal lobe steps in to compensate for hearing loss, enabling seniors to identify speech embedded in noise.
Cognitive scientists have found that younger and older adults show different brain wave patterns when performing the same memory task. The study used MRI and MEG to track potential age-related differences in brain activity, revealing a surge of theta power in younger adults and alpha oscillatory power in older adults.
A scientific review paper warns that chronic stress and anxiety can damage the brain's hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, increasing the risk of developing depression and dementia. Anti-depressant treatment and physical activity have been found to increase neurogenesis and may not be completely irreversible.
A study by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care reveals that brain connectivity patterns differ between individuals who remember episodic details versus facts, suggesting a lifelong 'memory trait'. This finding may have implications for understanding aging and brain health.
A one-month training program on the Virtual Week computer brain game strengthens prospective memory in older adults, which is crucial for planning and everyday functioning. The study shows that these cognitive gains transfer to real-world activities of daily living, with participants performing more tasks correctly than control groups.
Research found that cannabis use by age 16 affects cortical maturation in male adolescents at high genetic risk for schizophrenia. This study suggests a link between cannabis exposure and lower cortical thickness in these individuals.
A crowdsourcing experiment with over 500 adults yielded new evidence that neurofeedback learning can affect the brain almost immediately. The study demonstrated the scientific viability of collective neurofeedback as a potential new avenue in neuroscience research.
A group of eight passengers who experienced a terrifying plane scare in 2001 had their brains scanned while recalling the event to study trauma memories. The study found that the passengers showed a remarkably similar pattern of heightened brain activity when recalling both the Air Transat incident and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, sugge...
Cognitive scientists identified three middle-aged adults with SDAM, who lack personal recollection of past events but can learn and recall information normally. Brain imaging revealed reduced vividness and activation in midline brain regions, as well as a subtle volume reduction in the hippocampus.
A new study found that older adults with musical training were 20% faster at identifying speech sounds than non-musicians. The research suggests that music instruction can enhance brain areas supporting speech recognition, even in old age. Music training may help counteract cognitive decline and improve auditory processing abilities.
A new study found that anxiety symptoms in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) increase the risk of a faster decline in cognitive functions and accelerate brain damage, independent of depression. MCI patients with moderate or severe anxiety had a 33%, 78%, and 135% increased risk of Alzheimer's, respectively.
A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition found that making meaningful errors while learning can benefit memory. When participants made near-miss guesses related to the correct answer, they performed better on later memory tests. In contrast, random or unrelated mistakes hindere...
A new study finds that volunteering is associated with reductions in depression symptoms, better overall health, and greater longevity. Volunteering appears to peak at a moderate level, with benefits diminishing beyond 100 hours annually.
Researchers at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care studied the memories of 15 Air Transat passengers who experienced a life-threatening emergency in 2001. They found that those with PTSD recalled more external details, not just specific events, suggesting altered memory processing may be a vulnerability factor.
A study published in Psychology and Aging found that older adults who were tested in the morning performed better on demanding cognitive tasks and showed greater activation of attentional control regions in their brains. This suggests that scheduling mentally challenging tasks for the morning can be beneficial for older adults.
Researchers found that speaking tonal languages improves how the brain hears music, with Cantonese speakers showing similar performance to musicians on auditory measures. The study suggests that language experience can have bi-directional benefits for learning music.
Researchers found that distracting older adults during memory tests increased their performance to match that of younger adults. The study's findings have significant implications for designing learning strategies and equipping senior-housing with visual distraction cues to aid memory recall.
Baycrest's Mindfull e-cookbook provides a science-based approach to brain health, offering 100 delicious recipes to support cognitive function. The book debunks myths about nutrition and offers tips on how to boost brain function through food choices.
Researchers found that vivid memory and real perceptual experience share striking similarities at the neural level, but not in every detail. The study used fMRI to analyze brain activity while participants watched video clips and then recalled them, finding a 91% match in sensory and motor areas of the cerebral cortex.
A study by Marc Berman found that nature walks improved memory performance after a walk in nature, compared to an urban environment. Participants showed a 16 percent increase in attention and working memory, but no significant improvement in depressive mood.
A new study published by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care found that smartphone training can significantly improve daily life skills and boost confidence levels among individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment. Participants showed 'robust increases' in day-to-day memory functioning after taking the training.
A 22-year-old woman with amnesia demonstrated that her short-term memory is impaired when trying to recall new information. However, she showed no difficulty recalling familiar faces or words.
Pre-schoolers improved their verbal intelligence and brain function after participating in a four-week learning program that combined interactive, music-based cognitive training cartoons. The study, led by Dr. Sylvain Moreno, found rapid transfer of cognitive benefits in 90% of children.
A study of 74 musicians and 89 non-musicians found that being a musician can delay age-related decline in central auditory processing, allowing older musicians to understand speech in noisy environments as well as younger non-musicians. This advantage was particularly pronounced for older musicians.
Researchers found that trial-and-error learning benefits older brains more than errorless learning in certain conceptual tasks. Older adults outperformed younger peers in memory tests when learning through trial-and-error., This challenges the long-held assumption that making mistakes hurts memory performance for older adults.
A study found that older adults consuming high amounts of sodium in their diet, coupled with low physical activity, are at a greater risk of cognitive decline. Researchers discovered that low-sodium intake combined with moderate exercise levels can mitigate this risk.
Retired NHL players will undergo comprehensive cognitive testing, brain scanning, and blood sampling to identify risk factors associated with cognitive decline and dementia. The study aims to better understand the aging brain in professional athletes and the general population.
A Canadian research team found that bilingual individuals experienced a delay in the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years. The study analyzed clinical records of over 200 patients and found that bilingualism contributed to cognitive reserve, delaying symptom onset.
Researchers found that patients with occupations requiring high verbal skills had greater tissue loss on the right side of the brain, while those with low verbal skills had greater loss on the left. This effect was most pronounced in the temporal lobes of the brain.
A new study by Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute found that older adults are more prone to destination memory failures, including falsely believing they've shared information. They remain highly confident in these false beliefs, leading to awkward social situations and miscommunication.
Researchers found that older adults with late-life depression don't respond normally to emotional stimuli, making treatment more challenging. This study highlights the importance of emotion in understanding late-life depression and developing effective therapies.
A new study found that older adults can effectively link relevant and irrelevant pieces of information together, granting them a memory advantage over younger counterparts. This hyper-binding ability allows older adults to retain more information from previous experiences.
A new company, Cogniciti, is being formed by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and MaRS to develop brain fitness products. The company will produce games, training protocols, and corporate training programs grounded in 20 years of aging brain research.
Researchers found older adults' brains show increased activation in regions processing external noise during memory encoding failure. This leads to decreased performance and 'misses' in face recognition tasks.
Patients who recover well from head injuries often report mental fatigue and decreased performance compared to healthy individuals. A recent study found that their brains show increased activity in key regions, indicating a need for enhanced cognitive support.
A new study from Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care overturns the notion that brain noise decreases with maturity. Brain maturation leads to more stable and accurate behavior in memory tasks, but also correlates with increased brain signal variability.
Adults with type 2 diabetes who eat high-fat meals may experience immediate memory declines, but taking antioxidant vitamins with the meal can offset this effect. A study found that consuming healthy foods rich in fruits and vegetables is the best defense against cognitive decline.
A study of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients found that more severe injuries result in greater brain tissue loss, affecting both white and grey matter. The research provides a clue to the nature of brain damage causing disability after TBI.
Researchers found that individuals with severe autobiographical episodic memory loss can still understand others' emotions and intentions. This preserved ability may be linked to semantic memory, which was left intact after the injury.
Researchers found an antidepressant (citalopram) may perform as well as a commonly-prescribed antipsychotic (risperidone) in reducing psychosis and agitation in patients with dementia. The study also showed citalopram was associated with significantly lower adverse side effects.
A Canadian study found that bilingual individuals experience a delay in the onset of dementia symptoms by approximately four years compared to monolingual individuals. This delay was observed after considering potential influencers such as cultural differences, education, and occupation.
A new study confirms that chemotherapy can lead to a decline in memory and cognitive functions, known as chemobrain. The effects are relatively mild and potentially manageable.