Trends in health, aging, exercise science, neuroscience and meditation

Enriched Environments. Exercise helps our brain work better but also create more synaptic connections.  When our brains and  bodies are in these enriched environments we are happier and in better shape than if we were in sedentary locations. Here is one of the most important studies showing the implications of exercise for brain health.

1.- Greenough, W. T., and A. M. Sirevaag. “Plasticity of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocyte size and number in visual cortex of rats reared in complex environments.” BrainResearch540, no. 1–2 (Feb. 1, 1991): 273–278.

2.-Krammer, Arthur F., et al. “Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans.” Hippocampus 19, no. 10 (Oct. 2009): 1030–1039.

Cardiovascular activity is connected with intelligence: exercise your beautiful heart.  Can our heart makes us smarter? Charles Hillman Ph.D is a top scientist studying the connection of the heart  on cognitive function. Here is  groundbreaking study:

3.-Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF.

4.-Jen, C. J., and H.-I. Chen. “Differential effects of treadmill running and wheel running on spatial or aversive learning and memory: Roles of amygdalar brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synaptotagmin.” Journal of Physiology 587 (July 1, 2009): 3221–3231.

1- Biomechanics and whole body movements: the more muscles we use the better for a greater health/ Cardiovascular activity not only help us get fit but also get smarter.

Creative Total-Body Exercises by Rodney Corn, MA  

Journal of Biomechanics

Fitness Trends by the American College Sports of Medicine

. A study from Harvard University concluded that lack of brain activity between different areas of the brain means faster aging.

“Disruption of Large-Scale Brain Systems in Advanced Aging.” Jessica R. Andrews-Hanna, Abraham Z. Snyder, Justin L. Vincent, Cindy Lustig, Denise Head, Marcus E. Raichle, and Randy L. Buckner. Neuron, Vol 56, 924-935, 06 December 2007.

Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function Nat Rev Neurosci. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 January 12. Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 July; 9(7): 568–578.doi:  10.1038/nrn2421

MEDITATION AND THE BRAIN

According to the New York Times This exercise in focused awareness and mental catch-and-release of emotions has become perhaps the most popular new psychotherapy technique of the past decade.

•Meditation studies are showing the importance of this technique to battle relax, battle stress and improve brain activity and thickness of the grey and white matter

Practices like physical exercise, certain forms of psychological counseling and meditation can all change brains for the better, and these changes can be measured with the tools of modern neuroscience, according to a review article now online at Nature Neuroscience  to keep reading click here 

Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being

 Experiential factors shape the neural circuits underlying social and emotional behavior from the prenatal period to the end of life. These factors include both incidental influences, such as early adversity, and intentional influences can be produced

The effect of meditation on brain structure: cortical thickness mapping and diffusion tensor imaging. Source Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Republic of Korea. kwonjs@snu.ac.kr.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print]

Mechanisms of white matter changes induced by meditation.Tang YY, Lu Q, Fan M, Yang Y, Posner MI.

Source Department of Psychology, Texas Tech Neuroimaging Institute, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409.