W
WHEN WE MISPLACE OUR KEYS or draw a
blank on a friend’s name, we might joke about
having a “senior moment” to cover our real
embarrassment. But don’t despair just yet —
there are exciting developments emerging in
brain studies.
“Certainly as we age there are declines with brain function and cognition,”
says Dr. Molly Wagster, chief of the Neuropsychology of Aging Branch, Na-
tional Institute on Aging (NIA) in Bethesda, Md. “But there’s evidence that
the aging brain can adapt and change more than we ever thought.” Cognition,
she explains, encompasses such brain tasks as memory, learning, thinking,
and language. Wagster sees increasing evidence of the potential for maintain-
ing — or even gaining — brain function through exercise, mental stimulation,
and diet. Although most studies have been conducted on animals, Wagster
says studies performed on humans show similar fi ndings. Certain activities
not only result in improved cognitive performance but also in actual changes
in the brain, including increased connections among nerve cells, changes in
activity of nerve cells, and even the birth of new nerve cells.
“The brain is this wonderful miracle — the universe’s single greatest
system ever,” says neuropsychologist Dr. Paul Nussbaum, adjunct associate
professor in neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine. Nussbaum has been involved in researching dementia and related
disorders for two decades.
“It’s not as rigid as we used to think,” he says. Instead, the brain con-
stantly is reorganizing and making new connections, a concept known
as “neuroplasticity.”
Equally exciting, scientists have shown the brain can generate new cells,
a process known as “neurogenesis.” These cells are created in the hippocam-
QUICK BRAIN EXERCISES: pus, the area of the brain that learns new information. Injury to this area
usually results in diffi culties in forming new memories. Though it’s been
Read complex material aloud demonstrated that psychotherapy can make some hippocampal healing possi-
to another person. Turn your ble, such healing does not occur in cases of progressive degeneration of brain
book upside down and read a cells such as Alzheimer’s disease.
couple of pages. “The hippocampus gets damaged by Alzheimer’s disease early on,” Nuss-
baum says. “When people fi rst hear of the potential for ‘strengthening’ their
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