Brain Blast | Neuroscience for the New Year
The latest news on the brain and beyond.
As the saying goes, you shouldn’t make a promise that you can’t keep. The same can be said of New Year’s resolutions. If you haven’t found a resolution worth committing to this year, we can assist. Backed by the latest research, the resolutions below can help you make your brain stronger and healthier in 2020 and beyond. We think that’s worth a little extra work.
Start moving more
To stay sharp, get going. Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases found that individuals who engaged in regular cardiorespiratory exercise, such as running and biking, tended to have a higher gray brain matter volume than their counterparts who did not. Increased gray matter volume in the brain is associated with better cognition.
Story via Mayo Clinic
Protect your ears
Prevent hearing loss early. The less sound a person hears, the harder it becomes for their brain to process the sounds they do. Their brain spends more energy processing sound and has less to devote to other cognitive tasks, leading to decreased brain function. As a result, people with untreated hearing loss are at higher risk for developing depression and dementia.
Story via New York Times
Give to others
To feel better, do better. Altruistic behavior can reduce physical pain. During an experiment at Peking University, researchers gave participants the chance to donate money to charity. All subjects then received an electrical shock to the hand while undergoing an MRI. Subjects who chose to donate had less activity in the portions of their brains that process pain than those who had not donated.
Story via CNN
Get (your brain) connected
Drum up a better brain. German biopsychologists took MRI scans of the brains of members of two groups - professional drummers and individuals who did not play any instruments. They discovered that the drummers had fewer, but thicker fibers in their corpus callosusa than did the control group, allowing the two hemispheres of their brains to transfer signals more quickly.
Story via Ruhr University, Bochum
Add Versus to your routine
Is your brain preventing you from reaching your full potential? With the Versus assessment, you can identify what’s holding you back. Then, you can use the exercises to learn effective stress management and concentration techniques. Via the Versus User Dashboard, you can track your progress every step of the way. Take control of your wellness, or help your clients do the same, with the Versus system.
Story via Versus