Ever wondered what explains the sometimes surreal, often misguided, health policies by our government? Well, it is beyond our humble brains to capture and articulate what may be going on…but we now see that lack of access to quality information is certainly not the main problem. Decision-making processes, and structural incentives, would probably merit more attention….

I mention this because we are really impressed by the just-published 24-page special issue on Preventing Memory Loss by Congressional Quarterly Researcher, one of the main publications in Capitol Hill.

The publication is not free, but worth the price for anyone active professionally in the healthcare sector, or interested in learning about latest research and policy trends, from academics to students. You can buy Buy the Electronic PDF ($4.95) or Buy the Printed Copy ($15 – $5 discount using promotion code “L8BRAIN” = $10).

Description

As the nation’s baby boomers age, they are increasingly worried that their memories will deteriorate — and with good reason. An estimated 10 million boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease or another memory-destroying neurodegenerative condition in the coming years. Policy makers and health officials worry that the resulting bulge in the number of sufferers will burden the nation’s already strained health-care system. In the wake of these concerns, a vibrant brain-fitness industry is offering a variety of ways to help people keep their brains healthy, including the use of cognition-enhancing drugs and exercise. But many experts say much of what the public is being told is of limited value, at best. Intensified brain research begun years ago at the National Institutes of Health is just now beginning to produce data that scientists hope will advance efforts to prevent memory loss, but they worry that flat federal funding since 2003 may compromise the drive for solutions.

Read the rest of this entry »

We were very happy to discover that Scientific American Mind has highlighted SharpBrains in their June/July 2007 issue!

Here’s what they had to say:

“Everyone knows the importance of staying physically fit. But what about staying mentally fit? Research in the past several years has shown that mental “workouts” may improve memory, relieve stress and even help stave off Alzheimer’s. This new site is an online gym for the mind, offering a blog about the science of brain fitness and links to relevant research. It also sells “exercise” software and offers personal training.”

If you are here due to that introduction, we’d like to welcome you and show you around a bit. You might enjoy:

• The Neuroscience Interview Series in our brain health blog, in which we interview some of the leading neuroscientists in brain fitness, including:
  • Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg on Brain Fitness Programs and Cognitive Training,
  • Cognitive Simulations for Basketball Game-Intelligence: Interview with Prof. Daniel Gopher,
  • Working Memory Training and RoboMemo: Interview with Dr. Torkel Klingberg,
  • Memory training and attention deficits: interview with Notre Dame’s Bradley Gibson,
  • and an upcoming interview with Yaakov Stern, the leading researcher behind the Cognitive Reserve theory
• Our collection of Brain Teasers and Puzzles
• A selection of Hot Topics in Brain Health and Fitness
• Or, sign up for our free monthly brain fitness newsletter that keeps you up to date with the latest articles and events in brain fitness

But most of all, enjoy yourself, learn something new, and let us know what you think!