As far as I know, you can't train your brain the way you can train your muscles etc. It just doesn't work like that, if it were, any mid-wit could train themselves to become a super-high IQ genius, but that's just not the case. From what I read some time ago, any brain-training games/apps are proven to be ineffective.
So yeah, providing your brain with the right type of stimulation, staying away from harmful activities (i.e. dopamine overload, such as porn or compulsive use of social media), and most of all - keeping the right diet - could help you keep your brain in a good shape for a long time, but that won't increase its potential.
Topic: Brain expert: The One thing that sets those with better cognitive ability apart (Read 107 times)
December 24, 2022, 06:32:48 AM
December 20, 2022, 07:47:15 PM
continual learning extends the brain and helps keep the brain functional to correctly release the right hormones and chemicals the rest of the body need to grow, heal and stay energised and happy
however some "games" that are just repetitive (farmville) are not conducive to aiding the brain.
yes it staves off boredom and keeps brain active, but not growing, repairing, expanding
if you are going to give a elderly relative a device to play games on. ensure they have a wide selection of games requiring a multitude of tasks that get the brain thinking.
and not just zombie out a repeated action to pass the time
proper strategy games where there is a new method/model/task each time requiring a different way of thinking each time
in sort playing farmville or call of duty all day does not make you smarter
.
as for paperback puzzles
dont just give them a years supply of sudoku
give them multiple months of books of
sudoku, crossword, wordsearch, spot the difference plus others
like paint by numbers, recipe books. instruction manuals
tell them to just read a page of each book each day to mix it up so the brain does different tasks multiple times a day
however some "games" that are just repetitive (farmville) are not conducive to aiding the brain.
yes it staves off boredom and keeps brain active, but not growing, repairing, expanding
if you are going to give a elderly relative a device to play games on. ensure they have a wide selection of games requiring a multitude of tasks that get the brain thinking.
and not just zombie out a repeated action to pass the time
proper strategy games where there is a new method/model/task each time requiring a different way of thinking each time
in sort playing farmville or call of duty all day does not make you smarter
.
as for paperback puzzles
dont just give them a years supply of sudoku
give them multiple months of books of
sudoku, crossword, wordsearch, spot the difference plus others
like paint by numbers, recipe books. instruction manuals
tell them to just read a page of each book each day to mix it up so the brain does different tasks multiple times a day
December 20, 2022, 05:31:35 PM
I am curious to know whether learning and brain exercise might also be useful in addressing disorders like alzheimers.
Nope. It's not a sure-fire way to treat Alzheimer's since there has not been a cure yet, although medication and management strategies may help reduce the threat but won't stop the inevitable.
I also doubt that psilocybin helps in the repair of brain damage as it has side effects such as visual and mental hallucinations
More insight on this is gotten on this link
check here and also hampers the energy needed by the brain to function properly
and here
It is known that exercise can help treat degenerative conditions like osteoperosis (declining bone density) in women.
Based on that precedent, it is possible that exercising the brain could help stave off degenerative conditions like alzheimers.
As mentioned psilocybin has been used in clinical tests to treat conditions like PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
It isn't only Joe Rogan who is endorsing medical benefits of compounds like DMT.
December 18, 2022, 04:18:31 PM
I am curious to know whether learning and brain exercise might also be useful in addressing disorders like alzheimers.
Nope. It's not a sure-fire way to treat Alzheimer's since there has not been a cure yet, although medication and management strategies may help reduce the threat but won't stop the inevitable.
I also doubt that psilocybin helps in the repair of brain damage as it has side effects such as visual and mental hallucinations
More insight on this is gotten on this link
check here and also hampers the energy needed by the brain to function properly
and here
I seem to recall from my researching years that there is certainly some benefit on daily playing memory and skill games in a computer for those affected. Intuitively, even I feel mentally stronger when I have to study something new or work in something that requires more intellectual effort than usual. Hopefully, science will eventually deliver a "chemical solution" for the problem, for now keeping active is know to be useful
December 18, 2022, 02:54:32 PM
I might not be able to confirm the reliability of this information because I am not conversant with the research procedures but the finding might be correct. This is because I have observed that one of the professions that promotes cognitive ability is the teaching field. Teachers always have a long and active mental and physical lifespan. This might be because they keep learning new things althrough their teaching career.
Due to the constant review of the educational syllabus and teaching methods, teachers have to keep learning new concepts so that they can be able to be productive in this ever-dynamic world. Some of my teachers look younger and more mentally alert than me.
Due to the constant review of the educational syllabus and teaching methods, teachers have to keep learning new concepts so that they can be able to be productive in this ever-dynamic world. Some of my teachers look younger and more mentally alert than me.
December 18, 2022, 12:51:51 PM
I am curious to know whether learning and brain exercise might also be useful in addressing disorders like alzheimers.
Nope. It's not a sure-fire way to treat Alzheimer's since there has not been a cure yet, although medication and management strategies may help reduce the threat but won't stop the inevitable.
I also doubt that psilocybin helps in the repair of brain damage as it has side effects such as visual and mental hallucinations
More insight on this is gotten on this link
check here and also hampers the energy needed by the brain to function properly
and here
December 02, 2022, 09:53:23 AM
Quote
There is a group of people that longevity researchers call “SuperAgers,” who are in their 80s and beyond, but have the cognitive function of those decades younger.
Conversely, it’s possible for your brain to be older than your chronological age, which is what we want to avoid.
As a neuroscience researcher and author of “The Age-Proof Brain,” I’ve found that it’s our behaviors, not just our genes, that have a powerful impact on our brain’s destiny.
So what sets SuperAgers apart from people who have weak memory skills? According to a 2021 study that followed SuperAgers over the course of 18 months, one key differentiator was that they kept learning new things throughout their life.
SuperAgers learn something new every day
Think of the brain like a bank account. We make “deposits” — or new connections between our brain cells — by learning. Our memories are housed in these connections.
As we age, we naturally lose some of those connections. It’s like making a withdrawal every year. But the more deposits we make throughout our lives, the less our net worth is affected by these withdrawals.
One study found that adults with more years of education had more active frontal lobes when they took memory tests. Activity in the frontal lobe is associated with better memory.
But higher education isn’t the only way to maintain memory. In another study, even if individuals had lower levels of education, if they attended lectures, read, wrote and read often, they had memory scores on par with those with more education.
Which types of learning are best for brain health?
Keeping your brain healthy is not all about Sudoku, Wordle or crossword puzzles. Those can have cognitive benefits, but you are mostly exercising with the knowledge and skills you already have.
What does make significantly new connections in the brain is learning new skills and information. And the process should be challenging: SuperAgers embrace — and sometimes crave — that feeling of frustration when they learn something outside of their expertise.
‘Cross-train’ your brain
Approach learning the way you would with fitness training. You wouldn’t go to the gym and only work out your forearms. Eventually, you would look like Popeye.
The same goes for the brain. Learning a new language, for example, works out different parts of the brain than a new sport or instrument does.
You can cross-train your brain by mixing mental and physical learning activities. Get out your calendar and plan different types of activities using this plan:
No matter what it is, learning new things keeps your brain young. So if you discovered something you didn’t know before from reading this article, you’re already helping your brain age at a slower pace.
Marc Milstein, PhD, is a brain health expert and author of “The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia.” He earned both his PhD in Biological Chemistry and his Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from UCLA, and has conducted research on genetics, cancer biology and neuroscience. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/25/brain-expert-the-no-1-thing-that-sets-superagers-apart-from-people-with-weak-memory-skills.html
Conversely, it’s possible for your brain to be older than your chronological age, which is what we want to avoid.
As a neuroscience researcher and author of “The Age-Proof Brain,” I’ve found that it’s our behaviors, not just our genes, that have a powerful impact on our brain’s destiny.
So what sets SuperAgers apart from people who have weak memory skills? According to a 2021 study that followed SuperAgers over the course of 18 months, one key differentiator was that they kept learning new things throughout their life.
SuperAgers learn something new every day
Think of the brain like a bank account. We make “deposits” — or new connections between our brain cells — by learning. Our memories are housed in these connections.
As we age, we naturally lose some of those connections. It’s like making a withdrawal every year. But the more deposits we make throughout our lives, the less our net worth is affected by these withdrawals.
One study found that adults with more years of education had more active frontal lobes when they took memory tests. Activity in the frontal lobe is associated with better memory.
But higher education isn’t the only way to maintain memory. In another study, even if individuals had lower levels of education, if they attended lectures, read, wrote and read often, they had memory scores on par with those with more education.
Which types of learning are best for brain health?
Keeping your brain healthy is not all about Sudoku, Wordle or crossword puzzles. Those can have cognitive benefits, but you are mostly exercising with the knowledge and skills you already have.
What does make significantly new connections in the brain is learning new skills and information. And the process should be challenging: SuperAgers embrace — and sometimes crave — that feeling of frustration when they learn something outside of their expertise.
‘Cross-train’ your brain
Approach learning the way you would with fitness training. You wouldn’t go to the gym and only work out your forearms. Eventually, you would look like Popeye.
The same goes for the brain. Learning a new language, for example, works out different parts of the brain than a new sport or instrument does.
You can cross-train your brain by mixing mental and physical learning activities. Get out your calendar and plan different types of activities using this plan:
- Day 1: Learn something mentally stimulating, such as listening to a podcast or taking an online course.
- Day 2: Do something that requires learning through movement, such as a new sport, dance or yoga pose.
- Day 3: Be social. Grab coffee with a friend or go to a dinner party. Yes, social interaction is a form of learning that has been associated with staving off dementia.
No matter what it is, learning new things keeps your brain young. So if you discovered something you didn’t know before from reading this article, you’re already helping your brain age at a slower pace.
Marc Milstein, PhD, is a brain health expert and author of “The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia.” He earned both his PhD in Biological Chemistry and his Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from UCLA, and has conducted research on genetics, cancer biology and neuroscience. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/25/brain-expert-the-no-1-thing-that-sets-superagers-apart-from-people-with-weak-memory-skills.html
....
It appears there are proven long term benefits associated with learning, socializing and exercising the brain.
To a certain extent video games, texting, internet browsing and similar activities also stimulate the brain providing some tangible benefits. Although it seems a wider variety of activities which are dissimilar from each other produce the best results.
In this way cognitive decline due to age can be reduced. In the way that exercise can limit issues with loss of bone density and osteoperosis. I am curious to know whether learning and brain exercise might also be useful in addressing disorders like alzheimers.
In recent times, there have also been studies claiming that microdosing with psilocybin carries a potential to repair brain damage. Which urban legends say is irreversible. Combat veterans with brain injuries have shown remarkable improvement from psilocybin micro dose treatments.
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