January 31, 2008

Brain Bits

Did you know that the average adult brain is 6.5" long x 5.5" wide x 3.6" high and that the average adult brain weighs 3 pounds? Read on for more interesting "brain bits:"

100 billion - number of neurons in the human brain, approximately the same number as there are stars in our galaxy

186 million - number of more neurons in the left hemisphere of the brain than the right

3 - full soda cans' worth of blood flow through the brain every minute

1/5 - cups of oxygen from that blood are consumed by the brain every minute

2% - of body weight is comprised by the brain

20% - of the body's energy is used by the brain each day

70,000 - estimated number of thoughts the human brain produces on an average day

Source: www.brainhealthandpuzzles.com

Brain Fitness

Good health comes from healthy lifestyles, good choices and a supportive environment. Good health includes brain fitness, defined as "the capacity of a person to meet the various cognitive demands of life." 

Brain fitness can measured in two ways:

• Physically at the cellular level by neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons) and increased functional connections of synapses and dendrites between neurons. 
• Behaviorally, as seen in cognitive reserve, improved memory, attention, concentration, functions like planning and problem solving, decision making and other core capabilities.  

Brain fitness can be improved by both physical exercise and the use of multiple cognitive processes. Research indicates that gains from memory training interventions among people with normal, age-related cognitive changes can last up to five years. 

Brain fitness for older adults
Service providers should incorporate the latest findings into innovative activities and resources for their clients and the community. Program planners can build brain fitness activities into their programs and encourage older adults to engage in a variety of challenging activities each day.

Paul D. Nussbaum, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist at the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, advocates approaching brain fitness with an "enriched environment" model.  An enriched environment contains three factors:

1. Socialization
2. Physical Activity
3. Mental Stimulation

The future of brain fitness
For years, we have known that dancing, doing crossword puzzles and traveling were excellent activities for brain fitness. With the prevalence of computers and video games, we have a whole new world of brain fitness options available to us. Some examples include:

The Brain Fitness Program developed by Michael Merzenich and his colleagues at Posit Science involves solving tasks displayed on a computer.  Activities vary from recalling a list of errands by the different people shown on the street to a task that involves comparing sounds and identifying the ones that are similar.   

Lumosity is another computer-based brain training program consisting of brain games and exercises developed by some of the leading neuroscientists in the country.

A recent CDC-funded pilot study showed significant brain activity improvement among adults who followed a program that included regular, consistent social interaction; physical exercise; a low-fat diet; stress management and specific cognitive training with Happy Neuron games three times a week for six months.  Happy Neuron helps cross train critical thinking skills, including memory, language, concentration, reasoning and visual and spatial skills. 

Nintendo’s Brain Age, a video game that features simple math, syllable-counting, word memory activities and quick reading aloud exercises, is just one of several Nintendo products being used in many senior living environments.

Nintendo Wii games such as bowling, baseball, tennis and boxing are the hit of senior centers across the country.  These games involve both physical movement and mental stimulation and are most often played in groups for further development of socialization skills.

Another cross-generational, physically interactive video game is Dance, Dance Revolution, which also has several imitators. Available for most game systems and as a plug-and-play direct to the TV, this game requires the user to respond to arrows on the television screen by stepping, on beat, on the coordinating dance pad on the floor.

Brain gyms, such as vibrantBrains in San Francisco, CA, are popping up across the United States. vibrantBrains operates outside of a senior living environment as a neighborhood resource center, offering classes, lectures and author appearances, plus drop-in computer brain training sessions. vibrantBrains has a franchise for the UCLA Memory Training Course, designed by Dr. Gary Small of UCLA’s Center on Aging. 

So how do you know which brain health programs may be effective for your clients? Check out this brochure developed by www.sharpbrains.com.

For more brain health resources, scroll to the bottom of this newsletter.

Only a few more days until the Indiana Collaborative Conference on Aging! To date, nearly 300 of you have registered for this two-day event. Don't miss out -- sign up today at www.inagingconference.com.

Aging news you can use...

The Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults is a new health literacy tool released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for people who serve older adults. Click here to check it out.

The National Institute on Aging recently released the Toolkit for Trainers, a free, downloadable training curriculum that instructors can use to help older adults find reliable health information online.

The St.Vincent Center for Healthy Aging will hold its 19th Interdisciplinary Conference on Aging: Optimizing Aging in the Presence of Disease: Managing Life's Transitions on March 14, 2008 at the Fountains Banquet & Conference Center in Carmel, Indiana.

The 4th International Conference of the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) will be October 24-26, 2008 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. The conference theme, "Retiree Organizations in Higher Education: Values & Opportunties" will explore the benefits of retiree organizations and how they are serving their members, campuses, and communities. A Call for Presentations for the conference is ongoing with proposals being accepted through March 28, 2008. For more information and a submission form, visit  www.arohe.org or e-mail arohe@usc.edu.  

2008 Symposium on Strengthening the HCBS Direct Service Workforce will be hosted by the National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center, with the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Labor on May 8-9, 2008 in Baltimore, MD. This event will provide a forum for showcasing best practices in home- and community-based direct service workforce development, highlight Federal and state workforce initiatives, and disseminate research findings.

Grants to go for 

Brain Fitness – Resources

Organizations with brain fitness research and/or programs

AARP Brain Health Resources, including the Staying Sharp Program focused on brain fitness,  a joint project of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (see below) and NRTA: AARP's Educator Community.  

Alzheimer’s Association offers a variety of resources and publications, including the community program, Maintain Your Brain.  For information about the science of diet, exercise and mental activity see Maintain Your Brain’s 2006 publication, "The Science Behind Recommendations." Available at www.alz.org/maintainyourbrain/science/overview.asp

American Society on Aging (ASA) offers the MindAlert resource center, a searchable database on mental fitness and aging. In 2006, ASA commissioned Attitudes and Awareness of Brain Health, a poll on brain health. For the full report in PDF click here. 

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Brain Initiative is a multi-faceted approach to cognitive health that includes research, partnerships and resources to promote and protect brain health and to address lifestyle issues related to brain health.

Dana Foundation/The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives   serves as a gateway to science-based brain information and the initiative to advance the understanding of the brain.  The Alliance is a nonprofit organization of more than 250 leading neuroscientists, including ten Nobel Laureates. This site also offers a link to Brain Resources for Seniors.