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Archive for the ‘science of memory’ Category

A really fascinating article today in the NYT’s about the “super-memory” study of the 1 in 200 people who make it to 90 with their cognition largely in tact.  And the 1 in 600 who make it to 95 without a diagnosis of dementia. The study of these folks by USC and UC Irivine is [...]

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And now we learn, in the 2 weeks before the release of HBO’s new Alzheimer’s Project on May 10th, that Maria Shriver is an executive producer.  She’s making the press rounds to promote the project now – I’ve seen her last Sunday’s NYT’s Magazine and this article and interview in AARP’s mag. I am reminded [...]

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I just read a fascinating article called “Brain Gain” in the most recent New Yorker.  At first blush, one might not connect the stories of college students (or professional poker-players) taking “neuro-enhancers” like Adderall for a cognitive boost with concerns over memory loss.  But raising for bar for “normal” cognition creates greater pressure and worry [...]

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Saw an interesting article today based on a study from NC State.   Dr Tom Hess found that older adults performed worse on memory tests if negative stereotypes about aging were activated.   Stigma and fear over how one is being perceived really do make a difference…

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Today’s NYT’s article on the memory research at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn is the stuff of sci-fi-esque movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Looks like they can block some unpleasant memories in mice – like the memory of a particularly disgusting taste (wonder how they simulated that…) – some three months [...]

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There is a swirl of research out there now…and it’s confusing.  On the one hand, there is a growing body of research that suggests that social, creative activities help stave off memory loss.  This article for example, suggests that activities like quilting, pottery and computer games reduce the effects of memory loss. Logic would have [...]

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There’s been lots of hype about cognitive fitness, with a slew of computer games and programs comign out to help older people train their brains.  They hint that cognitive fitness can delay or prevent the onset of dementia.  But this article suggests that the computer programs don’t have any more effect than doing a crossword [...]

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I would love to read a good history of pharmaceuticals in this country. Just when did we become convinced that it is cheaper to medicate than to provide actual care or change behaviors? How is it that we arrive at the numbers that tell us this is so? And why do we believe them? There’s [...]

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The NYT’s Science Section featured an interesting article today about how memory loss associated with aging might actually be recast as a widening of the attention/focus to better synthesize information rather than focus on details. This, the article tells us, is another way to define wisdom. Might this also be true of other “losses” associated [...]

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As the population ages, the marker of “normal” in memory loss will continue to shift. There are several books out now that address the worry over memory loss in all its manifestations – from seemingly benign to the significant losses in the dementia experience. The latest entry is coming out this month from Harmony Books, [...]

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