Couch Potato Brain? Debunking 10 Brain Training Myths

Do you have a sleepy couch potato brain? Want to whip it into shape but don’t know how. How can anyone work on increasing their brain power when there are so many articles and studies that have conflicting advice about cognitive training and brain health? Which brain training approach, if any, is worth your time and money?

Here is a good article that refutes some of the common myths about brain training and there is also information in the article about a good book on the subject.

Debunking 10 Brain Training/ Cognitive Health Myths

Myth 1. Genes determine the fate of our brains.
Facts: Lifelong neuroplasticity allows our lifestyles and actions to play a meaningful role in how our brains physically evolve, especially given longer life expectancy.

Myth 2. Aging means automatic decline.
Facts: There is nothing inherently fixed in the precise trajectory of how brain functions evolve as we age.

Myth 3. Medication is the main hope for cognitive enhancement.
Facts: Non-invasive interventions can have comparable and more durable effects, side effect-free.

Read the rest here.

High Blood Sugar Linked to Poor Brain Health and Cognitive Function

Maintaining healthy blood sugar (glucose) levels may be important and not just for people with diabetes. New research links good glucose levels with good brain health as we get older. Lapses in memory, brain fog and senior moments sometimes increase in people as they age. The study below suggests that as blood sugar levels rise when we age, it could lead to more memory lapses, compared to people who maintain healthy blood glucose levels.

The study also suggests that “exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal cognitive decline that comes with age.”

Blood Sugar Linked to Good Brain Health

“By improving glucose metabolism, physical exercise also reduces blood glucose. It is therefore possible that the cognitive enhancing effects of physical exercise are mediated, at least in part, by the beneficial effect of lower glucose on the dentate gyrus.”

Provigil (Modafinil) for Depression and Weight-loss?

Wish you could pop a pill that would give you more energy, boost your mood/overcome depression, improve your memory and help you lose weight - all at the same time? Provigil (Modafinil) sounds like a wonder drug to me and I’d love to try it. Too bad it’s not approved for any of the above uses. Right now it’s only approved for excessive sleepiness associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or with shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) or narcolepsy.

I wonder if Provigil (Modafinil) will ever be approved as an adjunct to anti-depressant therapy? Some studies have been done showing it can be effective as a mood brightener. Many people suffering from depression also have severe fatigue and can’t get out of bed or enjoy life, so could certainly use an energy boost.

Several studies have been done on Modafinil as an augmentation for antidepressant treatment… but I don’t believe it’s FDA approved for this use yet, so it’s difficult to get insurance to cover it and Provigil is very expensive.

I’m intrigued by the fact that some consider it a smart drug, so I wonder if it could give us boomers a cognitive boost too. See: Is modafinil ( Provigil ) a smart drug ? and A Dose Of Genius - washingtonpost.com

Last but not least, studies on modafinil indicate that it has an appetite reducing/weight loss effect. Sounds like the perfect anti-depressan to me. More energy, weight-loss - instead of gain and mood enhancement all in one med. I’m going to ask my psychiatrist about it.

Brain Fog, Memory Problems and those Senior Moments

Misplaced car keys?  Forgetting words? Losing your train of thought?  Whether you call it brain fog, spaciness or flippantly refer to it as a senior moment - it’s irritating and can be debilitating. Regardless of what you call it, feeling like you are literally losing your mind is no fun at all!

Forgetfulness and memory problems increase with age and are associated with older people. However as the article states below, memory and cognitive function peaks at 22 and begins to decline at age 27. 
Old age begins at 27: Scientists reveal new research into aging

Many things can have an effect on brain function and create a sense of spaciness. Stress can feel like it’s literally eating your brain. Illness can affect mental capabilities, for instance brain fog is very common in fibromyalgia sufferers.

One product I’ve tried that seems to help make me feel more mentally alert is Neuro Optimizer by Jarrow. I just ordered a new product called MindRX by Advance Physician Formulas. I’ll let you know if that seems to work any better. One other product I just started taking is Ashwagandha which in studies has been shown to boost cognitive function. Here is some info.

Ashwagandha and brain health

“Ashwagandha is used in India to treat mental deficits in geriatric patients, including amnesia. Researchers from the University of Leipzig in Germany wanted to find out which neurotransmitters were influenced by ashwagandha herb… The researchers say, “The drug-induced increase in acetylcholine receptor capacity might partly explain the cognition-enhancing and memory-improving effects of extracts from ashwagandha observed in animals and humans.”

A study done in 1991 at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center indicated that extracts of ashwagandha had GABA-like activity. This may account for this herb’s anti-anxiety effects.

A 2002 laboratory study indicates ashwagandha extract stimulates the growth of axons and dendrites. A 2001 study in rodents showed ashwagandha extract had memory boosting ability. A 2000 study with rodents showed ashwagandha extract to have anti-anxiety and anti-depression effects.”