Boost Your Brain (50 page)

lungs, 181; problems, 51

lycopene, 86

magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), 69

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 3, 5, 19, 23, 28, 65, 66, 68, 72, 99-101, 113, 114, 115, 176, 209, 212, 214, 219, 231, 237, 248, 249, 260, 261

Martek Biosciences, 81

Massachusetts General Hospital, 13

math, 31, 116, 118, 119, 121-24

McEwen, Bruce, 186, 187, 192, 193

McGill University, 184

Meaney, Michael, 184-86

meat, 88

medications, 50-51, 192-93

meditation, 7, 33, 60, 95-104; amount of, 104; brain growth and, 96-101; breathing, 97; changing brain structure, 99-101; at home, 102-3; tips, 147; twelve-week plan, 140-41, 144, 146-47

Mediterranean diet, 76

memory, 3-6, 15, 16, 18, 21, 34, 38, 47, 64, 79, 101, 106, 111-33, 165, 178, 186, 198, 209, 215; in action, 124; alcohol and, 233; Alzheimer’s and, 241-61; brain injury and, 224-27; championships, 121-24; diet and, 80-82; exercise and, 63-73; practice, 119-20; problems, 19-22, 25, 39, 51, 177-78; social interaction and, 120-21; techniques and activities, 111-13, 129-32; tips, 127-29, 149; training, 111-33; twelve-week plan, 138, 141, 144-45, 147.
See also
long-term memory; short-term memory

Memory Cure, The
(Fotuhi), 252

menopause, 52, 142-43, 178

mental health conditions, 53,
54
, 55

metabolic syndrome, 75, 198

metabolism, 15

microglia, 82

MIDAS (Memory Improvement with Docosahexaenoic Acid Study), 80-81

middle-age brain, 19, 22, 142, 193; advantages of, 22; Alzheimer’s and, 241, 245, 255

migraine, 105, 230

mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 242, 250-51

Miller, Michael, 194

mindfulness, 47, 59, 95-110, 164; brain growth and, 95-110; changing brain structure, 99–101; drumming, 106–7; meditation, 95-104; neurofeedback, 104-6; new attitude, 108-9; religion, 107-8; tips, 147; twelve-week plan, 138, 140-41, 144, 146-47; yoga and tai chi, 96, 107

mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), 100

mitochondria, 69, 83, 223

“mixed dementia,” 242, 244, 247, 248

Molaison, Henry Gustav, 21

Montreal Neurological Institute, 22

mood, 47, 101, 164

Morris, John, 259

multi-infarct dementia, 256

multiple sclerosis, 12, 88

muscles, 69

music, 38, 117

Muslims, 107

myelin, 18, 20, 27, 30, 87, 235

myelination, 18, 20, 27

naps, 153

Nature
, 35

Nature Clinical Practice Neurology
, 82

Nature Reviews Neurology
, 25, 26

nerve damage, 235

neurofeedback, 53, 95, 96, 104-6, 232

neurogenesis, 5, 6, 18, 27-28,
29
, 30,
32
, 64-65, 80, 83, 114-15, 179, 186

neurology, 4-5, 254

Neurology
, 76, 211, 216

Neurology Today
, 258

neurons, 3, 5, 15-20, 25-29,
32
, 34, 69, 113, 172; development, 14-20; growth of new, 5, 7, 18, 27-29,
29
, 30,
32
, 64-65, 80, 83, 114-15, 179, 186

neuropathology, 12-14

neuroscience, 4-5, 20-23

New England Journal of Medicine
, 84, 257

new skills, learning, 26, 119, 132, 149

New York Times
, 16

New York University School of Medicine, 202

no, saying, 157

Nobel Prize, 40

noise, 188-89

non-rapid eye movement (NREM), 172

norepinephrine, 189

Northern Manhattan Study, 72

numbness, 53, 214, 216

Nun Study, 246

nuts, 76, 85, 87, 91

obesity, 7, 20, 25, 49, 51-52, 75, 78, 168,
169,
179, 191, 197-208, 210, 216, 217; brain shrinkage and, 197-208; cholesterol and, 203-4; diabetes and, 198-99, 202, 207; sleep apnea and, 174, 180, 207; treatment, 206-8

obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 25, 48, 50, 142, 143, 150-51, 168,
169,
173-77, 179-81, 195, 199, 207, 209, 217, 244; brain damage and, 173-77; reversing damage of, 180-81

occipital lobes, 15

OCD, 32

old-age brain, 19, 20, 65–66, 88, 116-19, 143, 193, 254; Alzheimer’s and, 241-61; exercise and, 65-66, 68; stress and, 193; technology and, 127.
See also
dementia

omega-3s, 76, 77, 78-82, 91, 231

Oregon Brain Aging Study, 76

oxidation, 82

oxygen, 5, 8, 30, 43, 64, 66; flow to brain, 5, 30, 40, 69, 113, 199-200, 210, 250; OSA restriction of, 173-77

Oz, Mehmet, 129-30, 192

pain, chronic, 178, 179, 195

paralysis, 212–13, 216

parenthood, 36, 37, 38

parietal lobes, 15, 26, 31, 68, 98, 101, 116

Parkinson’s disease, 12, 242

pecans, 85, 91

Penfield, Wilder, 22

perception, 15

Percocet, 51

pistachios, 85, 91

Pittsburg compound B (PiB), 248-49

planning ahead, 157

positron-emission tomography (PET), 23, 113, 190, 248-49

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 192

practice, 119-20

prayer, 107-8

prefrontal cortex, 186-87, 190, 205-7, 219, 235, 236

Price, Donald, 257

Price, Jill,
The Woman Who Can’t Forget
, 127

priorities, setting, 57

problem solving, 4, 6-7

processed foods, 77

progesterone, 231

prostate, 52

Purdue University, 225

puzzles, 6, 117, 132

Pythagoras, 253–4

quantitative EEG.
See
brain mapping

quercetin, 83

rapid eye movement (REM), 172, 173

reading, 117

religion, 107-8

restless leg syndrome, 178

reservatrol, 85-86

Roizen, Michael, 191-92

safety, brain, 46, 164

Sahin, Eylem, 95, 96, 97, 102, 108

Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 27–28

salt, 77

saturated fats, 77-78

Scarmeas, Nikolaos, 76

schizophrenia, 88

sedentary lifestyle, 19, 46, 49, 72, 217

serotonin, 189

sexual dysfunction, 52

shear injury, 222-23

short-term memory, 5, 6, 19, 64, 71, 80

skiing, 227, 229

skull, 23, 199–200; injury, 219-32

sleep, 46, 143, 150-51, 171-82; brain shrinkage and, 171-82; “catching up” on, 182; deprivation, 177-81; diet and, 179; disorders, 7, 20, 25, 31, 36, 48, 49, 50, 52, 105, 142, 143, 150-53, 168,
169,
171-83, 191, 195, 199, 207, 209, 217, 244; position, 151; quality, 46, 98, 143, 150-51, 163, 178; quantity, 46, 163, 173; reversing damage of sleep disorders, 180-81; tips, 151, 153; twelve-week plan, 150-53; understanding, 172-73

sleep apnea.
See
obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

smell, sense of, 124

smoking, 49, 51, 151, 159, 174, 216, 236; damage to brain, 236

snacks, 87

snoring, 50, 150, 173-77, 180

Snyder, Solomon, 257

social interaction, 47, 119, 120-21, 143, 149, 164; memory and, 120-21

Spain, 106, 236

speech, slurred, 214, 216

spinach, 82, 86, 88, 91

spinal cord, 16

sports injuries, 225-29

statins, 204

stress, 7, 20, 36, 52, 97-98, 108, 120, 143, 155-57, 178, 183-95, 200, 230; aging and, 193; brain shrinkage and, 183-95; causes and goals, 155-57; depression and, 189–91; excess, 185-87; good, 184; laughter and, 193-94; meditation for, 97-104; PTSD, 192; reduction tips, 157; reversing effects of, 191-93; twelve-week plan, 154-57; unseen, 187-89

stroke, 7, 29, 32, 39, 49, 51, 71-72, 77, 79, 87, 158-59, 168,
169,
171, 179, 193, 203, 209-18, 234; brain highways damaged by, 214-16; brain shrinkage and, 209-18; dementia and, 211, 213, 244, 245, 247, 248, 256; exercise and, 71-72; fighting, 217-18; hemorrhagic, 212; hypertension and, 209-12, 216, 217; ischemic, 212, 213, 215, 216; obesity and, 198, 202, 207; risks, 216-17; signs of, 213-14; silent, 207, 209, 213, 244; sleep apnea and, 175, 180, 209, 217; TIAs, 216; tips, 159

sudoku, 132

sugar, 77-78

suicide, 189

survival, 125

Sweden, 80, 188

sympathetic nervous system, 178

synapses, 3, 5, 6, 14, 18, 25, 26, 34, 113, 119, 250, 260; adding, 26,
29
, 30,
33
, 223

synaptic cleft, 14

synaptic degeneration, 186

synaptogenesis, 26,
29
, 30,
33
, 223

systemic illnesses, 25

tai chi, 96, 107

tau tangles, 243-52, 256-59

tea, 75, 83, 86, 91

technology, 22-23, 126, 127, 149, 153; digital, 126; future of, 259-61; older brain and, 127; scanning, 22-23

temporal lobes, 15, 68, 101, 116, 200, 215

testosterone, 44, 45, 144–43

theta waves, 31, 33, 105, 175, 191

Thomas, Owen, 227

thought, 15, 18

thyroid problems, 43, 51

thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), 43, 45

tomatoes, 86, 87, 91

touch, sense of, 15

tPA, 213

track, choosing your, 58–60

Track 1, 59, 60; diet, 92; exercise, 72; memory, 132; mindfulness, 109; twelve-week plan, 139-62

Track 2, 59, 60; diet, 92; exercise, 72-73; memory, 132-33; mindfulness, 110; twelve-week plan, 139-62

Track 3, 59, 60; diet, 92-93; exercise, 73; memory, 133; mindfulness, 110; twelve-week plan, 139-62

transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), 216

trans fats, 77

traumatic brain injury (TBI), 12, 20-22, 39, 49, 168,
169,
219-32, 242; brain shrinkage and, 219-32; definition of, 220-22; dementia and, 225-26; effects of, 224-27; phases of, 222-24; prevention of, 228-29; recovery, 229-32; sports and, 225-29; symptoms, 221-22, 229-30

triglycerides, 203

turmeric, 84-85

twelve-week plan, 39-60, 125, 137-65; age and, 142-43; attitude, 138, 157; body scan, 53-55,
54
; brain-body connection and, 49-55; brain fitness assessment, 41-42; brain fitness calculator, 45-48; choosing your track, 58-60; cognitive stimulation, 138, 141, 144-45, 147; creation of, 39-60; DHA, 138, 140, 142, 143, 144, 146; diet, 137-38, 139-40, 144, 145, 146; exercise, 137, 139, 142, 143, 144, 146; goals, 40-41; health conditions and, 49-53,
54
, 55; know your numbers, 43-45; mental health conditions and, 53,
54
, 55; mindfulness, 138, 140-41, 144, 146-47; questions for doctor, 56; setting priorities, 57; sleep, 150-53; stress, 154-57; warning card, 48-49; week one, 138-41; week two, 144-45; week three, 146-48; week four, 148-50; week five, 150-51; week six, 152-53; week seven, 154; week eight, 154-57; week nine, 158-59; week ten, 160; week eleven, 161; week twelve, 162

type A personality, 209, 217

USA Memory Championship, 121-24

University College London, 115

University of Alabama, 179

University of California, Berkeley, 179

University of California, Davis, 211

University of California, Los Angeles, 68

University of California, San Diego, 21, 176

University of Cincinnati, 236

University of Edinburgh, 35

University of Illinois, 68, 224

University of Maryland, 194

University of Massachusetts, 100

University of Pennsylvania, 98

University of Pittsburgh, 65, 80, 200

University of South Florida, 86

University of Wisconsin-Madison, 99

urinary frequency, 52

Valium, 50

vascular dementia, 193, 213, 246

vegetables and fruits, 76, 82-88, 91

vision, 15, 50; loss, 50, 202, 212, 214, 224, 235

vitamins, 20, 43-46, 75, 77, 86-89, 91, 143, 163, 235.
See also specific vitamins

warning card, 48-49

water, 145

weight, 44, 46, 51-52, 78, 163; excess, 7, 20, 25, 49, 51-52, 197-208; loss, 51-52, 151, 180, 206-8.
See also
obesity

weight-to-height ratio, 44-46

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, 235

White, Lon, 258, 259

Whitehouse, Peter, 258

Willis, Thomas, 254

wine, 90

Witte, Veronica, 82

work, 36, 37, 38

Yaffe, Kristine, 203, 204, 251

Yamada, Masahito, 85

yoga, 96, 100, 107

young brain, 14-19, 80, 142, 173, 181, 189, 193, 202; development of, 14-19; exercise and, 66-67; injury, 224, 228-29; obesity and, 202; sleep apnea and, 181

zinc, 93

About the Author

MAJID FOTUHI, M.D., Ph.D.
, is an internationally recognized neurologist and author of two previous books and numerous scientific articles about brain health. Based on his more than twenty-five years of clinical, research, and teaching experience at Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Fotuhi has created the Brain Center (www.thebraincenter.net) and serves as its chief medical officer. He is the recipient of the distinguished teaching award from the American Academy of Neurology and has appeared on CNN, ABC, Discovery Channel, and
The Dr. Oz Show
. His television series,
Fight Alzheimer’s Early
, has aired on PBS stations across the country. He lives with his wife and two young daughters in Baltimore, Maryland.

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