Posted on 01/03/2007 12:36:48 AM PST by neverdem
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Is there hope for your hippocampus, a new lease for your temporal lobe?
Science is not sure yet, but across the country, brain health programs are springing up, offering the possibility of a cognitive fountain of youth.
From “brain gyms” on the Internet to “brain-healthy” foods and activities at assisted living centers, the programs are aimed at baby boomers anxious about entering their golden years and at their parents trying to stave off memory loss or dementia.
“This is going to be one of the hottest topics in the next five years — it’s going to be huge,” said Nancy Ceridwyn, co-director of special projects for the American Society on Aging. “The challenge we have is it’s going to be a lot like the anti-aging industry: how much science is there behind this?”
Dozens of studies are under way. Organizations like AARP are offering tips on brain health. And the Alzheimer’s Association conducts hundreds of Maintain Your Brain workshops, many at corporations like Apple Computer and Lockheed Martin.
At least two health insurers are pushing brain health. MetLife is giving prospective clients a 61-page book it commissioned called “Love Your Brain.” Humana will provide, free or deeply discounted, $495 worth of brain fitness software to some four million older customers, and offers “brain fitness camps” with the software at computer stores and community colleges.
There are Web sites like HappyNeuron.com, which offers subscribers cranial calisthenics, and MyBrainTrainer.com, marketed to anyone who “ever wished you could be a little quicker, a little sharper mentally.”
And Nintendo’s Brain Age, a video game intended for baby boomers and their elders, features simple math, syllable-counting, word memory activities and the quick reading aloud of passages from the likes of Poe and Dickens, which “gives your prefrontal cortex a workout,” the instructions...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Internet Hold'em Poker works for me.
I've picked up piano lessons again after a hiatus of over 30 years. It's great mental exercise and keeps my fingers limber too. If it doesn't keep my brain any healthier, at least it's enjoyable.
NYT Sunday Crosswords, I would die without them.
We have all we need right here in FreeRepublic .... the mental gymnastics required to follow and or discuss/argue any one of the topics proferred daily keeps anyone ... even couch potatoes ... within the basic guidelines for processing thought.
Am I logged on?
First comment I have ever seen on Free Republic that I have no issue with.
I do kakuro. They work for me.
Actually, that's quite popular in my house although I seem to be the only one who hasn't played it yet.
Why can't they call it thinking for a change?
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Because most thinking happens at the level of "what should I have for lunch?" menu choice. Mental gymnastics is something more challenging, like gymnastics vs. simple walking.
I do agree with you on what passes for thinking in most people.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Music involves alot of systems interacting. I think it's particularly great for brain limbering. You might also want to consider Dance or a safer form of Martial Arts.
If you are concerned that Music might not be enough, may I suggest a "friendly game of chess?" :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.