Author: DynamicBrain Inc.
Publication: Monthly Newsletter
Published Date: August 23, 2022

Did you know that your ability to keep your balance has a lot to do with how your brain operates? Problems with mobility and increased risk of falls are linked to declining overall cognitive ability, executive function, attention, speed, and visual processing. Fortunately, all these cognitive systems are plastic and capable of improvement through our BrainHQ exercises. (See these published studies on balance and gait.)

Each year, one out of every three adults aged 65 and over experiences a fall. These falls create a downward spiral as fear of more falls limits mobility and, in turn, further increases fall risk. That’s why our program is offered in an increasing number of older adults’ health and community centres to reduce fall risk and improve mobility, along with other benefits. Please do share this information with others and help us to reduce more falls!

Remember your brain training today and, if you still don’t have full access, join now.

Kind regards, Frieda Fanni President DynamicBrain Inc. DynamicBrain Inc. is the Canadian partner of Posit Science Corporation since 2010 providing brain fitness program BrainHQ in English and French.

Mopping up Alzheimer’s disease
Did you know the brain has its own clean-up crew when it comes to clearing out damaged nerve cells? This orderly crew is made up of microglia. Microglia are cells that stabilize the brain by removing damaged neurons and protein plaques, things often linked to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s. Traditionally, microglia have been fairly understudied. Recently, researchers turned their attention to them and uncovered how to get lab-generated microglia to concentrate on their cleaning job. A job that’s vital in mopping up Alzheimer’s. Read what implications this discovery has.

Mental fatigue
Have you ever wondered how it is that you can be so tired after a long day of mentally demanding work even though you may have barely gotten out of your chair? That tiredness is call mental fatigue (or cognitive fatigue), and this is a question scientists have sought to answer in a recent study. Previous studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex plays an important role in the cognitive processes underlying mental effort. So in their study, scientists focused their investigation there. Learn what the results suggest.

The shape of thinking
For many years, psychologists and philosophers have debated whether spatial thinking (thinking using mental images of objects) actually underpins what we’ve thought to be verbal thinking. With the help of high school student participants, a team of researchers from seven universities have explored spatial thinking to better understand how the human brain learns to reason. Their findings point to a new way of integrating neuroscience with education that may help to overcome challenges associated with traditional pen-and-paper learning assessments. Read on to find out more.