Three excellent new editions of these blog carnivals:
- Encephalon at Neuroskeptic: brain and mind topics.
- Grand Rounds at Running a Hospital: overall health and medicine, this week with special theme "when things go awry".
- Change of Shift at EmergiBlog: nursing and related healthcare topics.
Increased longevity has generated many questions and much interest in healthy aging and retirement lifestyles over the recent decades. As Americans become educated regarding lifestyle choices that contribute to both physical and mental health, the definition of healthy aging has expanded to include brain health.
The notion of retirement as a time of withdrawal from society, to be spent on rest and repose reflected the thinking of a previous era when people expected shorter life spans. It is now known that the human brain benefits from environments rich in novel and complex stimuli, and that by actively participating in society and taking on personally relevant roles, people find meaning and purpose, which gives them a reason to get up in the morning and pursue new challenges.
This year, the MetLife Mature Market Institute® published a research study titled Discovering What Matters: Balancing Money, Medicine and Meaning. The study explored how people rebalance their priorities over time and juggle various competing aspects of life including money, medicine (a metaphor for health) and meaning, in order to live the “Good Life.” Having purpose was found to Continue Reading »
In April 2008, Baycrest, a leading research institute focused on aging and brain function, received $10-million from the Ontario Government to create a groundbreaking Centre for Brain Fitness. Its stated goal was to “develop and commercialize a range of products designed to improve the brain health of aging Ontarians and others around the world”.
“Our government is proud to support Baycrest and its invaluable work, which is already leading to the discovery of important new tools and approaches to treating brain diseases associated with aging,” said Minister of Research and Innovation, John Wilkinson.
We have Baycrest’s CEO with us today, to explore why Ontario and Baycrest chose to 
become pioneers in this area, and discuss some of the main opportunities, and challenges. Dr. William E. Reichman is President and CEO of Baycrest. Dr. Reichman, an internationally-known expert in geriatric mental health and dementia, is also Professor of Psychiatry on the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Alvaro Fernandez: Bill, thank you for your time. Let me start by asking, given that you just spoke at the recent Consumer Electronic Show, what do you make of the growing brain fitness field?
Bill Reichman: it looks like a classic example of a very promising but still early stage field – a lot of opportunity and enthusiasm, but also a lot of product claims that are not backed by solid research. Think about the physical fitness analogy: even today, after decades of progress, you still see people buying research-based products such as treadmills but also all types of random machines they see on TV and have not been subject to any validation. Similarly, consumers today do not know what to make of growing brain fitness claims. As another speaker pointed out, for the industry to fulfill its promise, it will need to be careful with research and claims, not to end up like the nutraceuticals category.
By the way, let me recognize that the work you are doing with SharpBrains reports and your website is very important to offer quality information.
Thank you. Let’s step back for a moment. Taking a, say, 10 years view, what is the main opportunity that technology-based brain fitness can offer to society?
First of all, let me say that I think we have an opportunity to make major progress in Brain Health in the XXI century, similar to what happened with Cardiovascular Health in the XX, and technology will play a crucial role.
Given the rapid advances we are witnessing today in the research and technology arenas, I feel confident in saying that in less than 10 years we will have both valid and reliable assessments of cognitive functions, that will be used both by Continue Reading »
A couple of very well curated collections of recent blog posts:
Encephalon #64: hosted by Neurocritic, covering neuroscience and psychology. Please make sure to visit when you have some time to spare...because you will quickly become addicted to the quality content and superb presentation.
It’s Grand Rounds, What Do You Think? GOSH!: hosted by Kim at EmergiBlog, with an interdisciplinary, "Napoleon Dynamite", frame. Doesn't seem to make sense? well, pay a visit.
Just a quick heads up: the MetLife Mature Market Institute has published a new report: titled Discovering What Matters: Balancing Money, Medicine and Meaning.
Description: "The adage that money can’t buy happiness is supported analytically by new research demonstrating the importance of having purpose in one’s life and that the most content people focus on the non-financial essentials in their lives, even during difficult economic times. Living the “good life” for middle-aged and older Americans is equated with spending time with family and friends, a previously unquantified finding, according to the MetLife Mature Market Institute’s latest study, Discovering What Matters: Balancing Money, Medicine and Meaning, produced in conjunction with leading author, life coach, and executive educator, Richard Leider. They describe the good life in terms of having health, a financial safety net and the time to do what is important to them."
Report is available Here (PDF, 69 kb).
Will comment in a few days, when I get the chance to take a look at it. Have a nice weekend!
"If Dr. Rob can interview Santa, why can't I interview a select group of health & medical bloggers? They will have some good ideas to share".
So did President-elect Obama came to realize a few days ago. After his people kindly contacted our people, we felt compelled to grant him open access to our collective wisdom. Without further ado, below you have Grand Rounds 5:12 - a Q&A session led by the incoming President on how to reform (for the better, we hope) healthcare.
On Health Insurance
Q: How does the blogosphere perceive the problem of having a significant group of people uninsured?
Health Insurance Colorado: a growing economic burden, which may lead to emergency rooms turning people away if they are unable to provide proof of health insurance.
Dr Rich: well, a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed how overcrowding in American emergency rooms is NOT due to the uninsured. Rather, it is due to insured Americans who cannot get in to see their primary care physicians. We may need improved care both for the insured and uninsured groups.
InsureBlog: I'd second that. Lack of health insurance is a major problem but is it really our Biggest Problem?
It's All about Attitude
Q: You may have heard my campaign mantra, "Yes We Can". Can I count on your support?
ButYouDontLookSick: Yes. If Leslie Hunt can talk so openly about her chronic illness (Lupus) yet fulfill her American Idol dreams, we can fulfill our dreams too.
Notes of an Anesthesioboist: you are talking to the group of professionals willing to self-experiment with our own body for the benefit of science and our patients.
Medviews: My wife, son, and I signed up to work as medical volunteers for your upcoming inauguration.
EmergiBlog: I am on board too. But, please, remember that caring is the essence of nursing. And that is why my patients will always be my “patients” and never my “clients".
Neuroanthropology: Mr. President-elect, it seems to me that, despite all our good intentions, balancing the budget and multiple competing priorities will be a challenge. May I suggest you start practicing some capoeira for equilibrium training?
Shrink Rap: Happy to help. Now, we will need to protect some time for quality sleep time.
Training
Q: I am encouraged by your words. How can my team and I better support you in your daily activities?
Aequanimitas: we need more role models for us to “learn to think, observe, and compare” and that the patient is our “first, last, and only teacher”.
Mudphudder: Couldn't agree more. We need Continue Reading »
I will be hosting the December 9th edition of Grand Rounds blog carnival. Please email me your excellent health & medicine posts, indicating Grand Rounds in the subject line:
afernandez at sharpbrains dot com
Thank you!
We offered some Brain Fitness Predictions in our Market Report , including...
"7. Doctors and pharmacists will help patients navigate through the overwhelming range of available products and interpret the results of cognitive assessments. This will require significant professional development efforts, given that most doctors today were trained under a very different understanding of the brain than the one we have today."
The American Medical News, a weekly newspaper for physicians published by the American Medical Association, just published an excellent article along those lines:
Steps to a nimble mind: Physical and mental exercise help keep the brain fit
-- Neuroscience is uncovering techniques to prevent cognitive decline.
A few quotes:
- It's an example that highlights a wave of new thinking about the importance of brain fitness.
- Until recently, conventional wisdom held that our brains were intractable, hard-wired computers. What we were born with was all we got. Age wore down memory and the ability to understand, and few interventions could reverse this process. But increasingly, evidence suggests that physical and mental exercise can alter specific brain regions, making radical improvements in cognitive function.
- With nearly 72 million Americans turning 65 over the next two decades, physicians need the tools to handle growing patient concerns about how to best maintain brain health. Armed with this new brand of science, frontline physicians will be better equipped to address the needs of aging baby boomers, already in the throes of the brain fitness revolution.
- "Encourage them to exercise the brain in novel and complex ways," he says.
Full article: here
One of the physicians quoted in the article is Gary J. Kennedy, MD, Director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in NYC and a professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
To put the AMA article in better perspective for SharpBrains readers, we asked Dr. Kennedy a few follow-up questions. Below you have his questions.
Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Can you summarize how cognitive functions tend to evolve as we age?
Gary Kennedy (GK): As we age cognitive functions that rely on Continue Reading »
Welcome to the first edition of MetaCarnival: a Carnival of Carnivals (announced here), the new, 
monthly, and interdisciplinary gathering of blogs and blog carnivals.
Let's picture all participants in the shadow of an expansive sycamore tree, conducting a lively Q&A lunch discussion.
General Advice
Q: What would you recommend to live as long as possible, and as healthy as possible?
- Hourglass (biology of aging): Try Not To Stab Yourself Repeatedly. Or smoke. Or eat that much fast food...you get the idea. "The vast majority of people are quite comfortable engaging in habits that cause great harm to the old person they will one day be, cutting off years or even decades of health."
Q: Can blogging help, too?
- I and the Bird (birds): Indeed. Just read about these life-changing moments in the Kenyan highlands, brought together spontaneously as a collaboration between researchers, conservationists, bloggers. And, yes, birds.
Sports (Well... Brain and Sports)
Q: Tell me something interesting about athletes and "The Zone".
- Encephalon (neuroscience and psychology): why don't we review this recent study on the Momentum Chain in Sports. You can conduct your own mini experiment while watching TV: watch the reactions of the players and the teams right after "precipitating events" to see if they actually lead to game-changing moments.
Medicine
Q: Should patients be patient?.
- SurgeXperiences (surgical experiences): Patience in indeed a virtue, especially Continue Reading »
Here you have the latest editions of two excellent blog carnivals. Pay a visit if you are interested in meeting some great education and health bloggers.
- Carnival of Education #190, by Steve Spangler.
- Grand Rounds: this time, hosted by KevinMD and Kim on behalf of Dr. Val.
Enjoy!
- Next »
