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A new study shows that a ketogenic diet significantly delays the early stages of Alzheimer's-related memory loss in mice. This early memory loss is comparable to mild cognitive impairment in humans that precedes full-blown Alzheimer's disease. The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet, which shifts the body's metabolism from using glucose as the main fuel source to burning fat and producing ketones for energy. Researchers previously found that mice lived 13% longer on ketogenic diets. The new study, which follows up on that research, found that the molecule beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB, plays a pivotal role in preventing...

Fiber is essential for the digestive system. It helps maintain a healthy weight and lowers the risk of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Getting the right amount of fiber, whether through food or drinks, is a great way to relieve constipation. In addition to all that, fiber supplements could improve brain function in older adults, according to a new study. The study followed individuals over the age of 60 for a 12-week period. Results found those who took prebiotic fiber supplements showed a "significant improvement in memory." The study evaluated the gut microbiome and its correlation with both cognitive...

President Joe Biden “passes a cognitive test every day” due to the rigors of the job, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday, as she attempted to fend off reporters’ questions about Biden’s mental fitness. Jean-Pierre presided over a White House press briefing just hours after the president returned from his annual physical. She said that a cognitive test was not part of the annual checkup, despite concerns about Biden’s acuity. “If you look at what this president — he passes a cognitive test every day, every day, as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding...

The White House says President Biden will not take a cognitive test — even after a damning report from his own Department of Justice highlighting his “poor memory” and voters expressing major concerns about his mental acuity. “The president proves every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks — by dealing with world leaders, by making difficult decisions on behalf of the American people — whether it’s domestic or national security,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday, quoting from Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor. “That is how Dr. O’Connor sees it, and that is how...

Biden will not take a cognitive test as part of his upcoming physical exam, the White House reportedly confirmed

People with ischemic (clot-caused) stroke had better early recovery of cognitive function if treated with intravenous injections of a combination of biologically active components of ginkgo biloba during the first two weeks after the stroke, according to a preliminary study. In early 2023, researchers from this study published the results of a multicenter trial indicating that people with ischemic stroke had better recovery if they were treated with daily injections of ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine (GDLM), a combination of the biologically active components of ginkgo biloba. The researchers analyzed the cognitive recovery of 3,163 stroke survivors (average age of 63...

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday claimed that former President Trump has “cognitive disorders” in response to his apparent mix-up of her name with his GOP presidential primary opponent’s name, Nikki Haley. In an interview on MSNBC during election coverage of the New Hampshire primary, Pelosi responded to a question about the apparent mix-up, saying, “Well, let me just say, I’m not going to spend too much time on Donald Trump’s cognitive disorders.” At a rally this past weekend, Trump repeated a false theory, embraced by some of Trump’s supporters, that blames then-Speaker Pelosi for security failures at the...

Almost a century ago, the psychologist Jean Piaget defined the stages of cognitive development. Up until about age 2, children learn about cause and effect through their actions. For the next five years, they learn through pretend play but struggle with logic. By middle school, they're in the "concrete operational stage." Their thinking is more logical but still rigid. Then around age 12, children enter the "formal operational stage," becoming capable of theoretical and abstract reasoning. This progression isn't just about acquiring knowledge; it's about a change in the very nature of how we think. Madeline Levine, a psychologist and...

Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular metabolic diseases and neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. Long-term exercise improves memory and spatial cognition, reduces age-related cognitive decline, and maintains brain volume, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. A study from Febbraio lab at Monash University reported that voluntary exercise training (VET) improves long-term memory in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice, increases hippocampal neurogenesis and the expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF in the hippocampus, and decreases the expression of the inflammatory factor TNF, suggesting that long-term physical activity can prevent obesity-induced cognitive decline. Particularly, their results showed that VET...

resident Biden's 81st birthday ushered in even more conversations surrounding his age and declining cognitive acuity, two things Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, believes are valid causes for concern. "[The decline is] happening quickly," Jackson told "Sunday Morning Futures" guest anchor Sean Duffy. "Like you said, I've taken care of three presidents… so I know firsthand what it takes to be the commander-in-chief and the head of state. It's a grueling job, both mentally and physically. This man can't do the job. He's proven to us every single day that he can't do the job,...

New research has found that daily strawberry consumption could help reduce the risk of dementia for certain middle-aged populations. "Both strawberries and blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been implicated in a variety of berry health benefits such as metabolic and cognitive enhancements," said Krikorian. "There is epidemiological data suggesting that people who consume strawberries or blueberries regularly have a slower rate of cognitive decline with aging." Krikorian said strawberries contain additional micronutrients called ellagitannins and ellagic acid that have been associated with health benefits. About 50% of individuals in the U.S. develop insulin resistance, commonly referred to as...

Scientists have discovered widespread differences in metal levels in the brains of patients with Huntington's disease, a type of dementia. The elements, including selenium (a metalloid), sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese, were studied in 11 parts of the brain. In particular, the scientists found substantial decreases in selenium levels in all 11 regions of the HD brains, calculating there was a high risk of having the disease when levels are low. Increased sodium and potassium ratios were observed in every region except the substantia nigra, and many of the regions showed increased calcium and/or zinc levels....

Researchers have discovered the link between the gut microbiota and Alzheimer's disease. For the first time, researchers have found that Alzheimer's symptoms can be transferred to a healthy young organism via the gut microbiota, confirming its role in the disease. The study supports the emergence of the gut microbiome as a key target for investigation in Alzheimer's disease due to its particular susceptibility to lifestyle and environmental influence. The study shows that that the memory impairments in people with Alzheimer's could be transferred to young animals through transplant of gut microbiota. Alzheimer's patients had a higher abundance of inflammation-promoting bacteria...

The glymphatic system is the brain's self-cleaning mechanism. It wasn't discovered until 2012. The glymphatic system is tied to the circadian system and sleep architecture, and both are implicated in the pathophysiology of concussions. I'll explain the glymphatic system's nature, how its dysfunction contributes to concussion pathology, and the crucial role of circadian therapy in mitigating this impact. The glymphatic system was nicknamed "the garbage truck of the brain" by its discoverer. Its fundamental role is to remove waste products from the brain. Approximately 80–90% of glymphatic clearance occurs during "deep sleep." As sleep transitions from deep sleep into the...

The search for functional natural compounds that can improve age-related cognitive decline has recently emerged as an important research focus to promote healthy aging. Trigonelline (TG), a plant alkaloid found in coffee, as well as in fenugreek seed and radish, was anticipated to possess cognitive enhancement properties. In a study, researchers investigated the effects of TG on memory and spatial learning (acquiring, retaining, structuring, and applying information related to the surrounding physical environment) from both a cognitive and molecular biology perspective in an integrated manner using a senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) model. Following oral administration of TG to SAMP8...

New research supports the idea that the brains of older adults who maintain physical fitness by engaging in regular strenuous exercise more closely resemble those of younger adults. The researchers used functional MRI to measure fluctuations in blood oxygen level-dependent signals as the 52 study participants performed tasks involving several varieties of cognitive control. The fMRI scans indicated that young adults primarily used the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—a classical working memory, cognitive control center of the brain that is activated more as tasks became more demanding. In general, the brain calls upon its resources like firefighters respond to a multi-alarm fire:...

Findings from a new study suggest that taking a probiotic could help prevent the decline in memory and thinking that can accompany aging. This research may pave the way for new, non-invasive treatments that leverage the gut microbiome to mitigate cognitive decline in the aging population. The researchers found that when study participants with mild cognitive impairment received the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) for three months, their cognitive scores increased. This cognitive improvement was also associated with changes in their gut microbiome. The study involved 169 participants between 52 and 75 years old who were divided into two groups...

There’s growing public concern over President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities. It is in the interest of the president — as well as the Democratic Party and the country — to address those concerns by submitting to a cognitive test that would include independent medical professionals. And he should do it soon. So far, both the president and First Lady Jill Biden have dismissed calls for him to submit to a cognitive test. But the public is growing worried. As reported in The Hill, a recent NBC News poll found that 68 percent are concerned the president “does not possess the...

A study analyzes in old rats the effects of a calorie-restricted diet on the hippocampus, a brain structure that is critical in learning and memory processes. The results corroborate that there is a cognitive improvement derived from diet, linked to a reduction in the levels of inflammation and neuronal loss in the hippocampus. It has been described that some of the brain alterations observed during aging are related to the cognitive dysfunction that manifests naturally as we age. These processes, which depend on both genetic and environmental factors, are particularly important in the hippocampus. Calorie-restricted diets have been shown to...

Supplementing GlyNAC—a combination of glycine and N-acetylcysteine as precursors of the natural antioxidant glutathione—improved or reversed age-associated cognitive decline in old mice and improved multiple associated defects in the aging brain. Sekhar and his team worked with three groups of mice. Two groups were aged naturally side-by-side until they were 90 weeks old, which is similar to a 70-year-old person. At 90 weeks of age, both groups of old mice were evaluated for their cognitive abilities, such as remembering the correct route in a maze that leads to a food reward. These results were compared to those of young mice,...