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Aging

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Brain may age faster in people whose hearts pump less blood
  • A large study confirms that your cardiac health affects your brain, and provides evidence that the extent of this problem is greater than we think.

I have often spoken of the mantra: What’s good for your heart is good for your brain.

Link between gum disease and poorer cognition in older adults

A strong association between gum inflammation and poorer cognitive performance in 70-year-olds has been found in a small study.

Following on from indications that gum disease might be a risk factor for dementia, analysis of data from 152 subjects in the Danish Glostrop Aging Study has revealed that periodontal inflammation at age 70 was strongly associated with lower cognitive scores (on the Digit Symbol Test).

Low vitamin D levels associated with cognitive decline

Another study shows that older adults with low levels of vitamin D have higher levels of cognitive decline, particularly in executive function (but not attention).

Another study has come out showing that older adults with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have cognitive problems. The six-year study followed 858 adults who were age 65 or older at the beginning of the study.

Adults recall negative events less accurately than children

A word experiment shows that unpleasant or traumatic events are likely to be inaccurately remembered, and this memory distortion increases with age. The findings have implications for eyewitness testimony.

Findings that children are less likely than adults to distort memories when negative emotions are evoked has significant implications for the criminal justice system.

Common medications increase risk of mild cognitive impairment

A large study of older African-Americans has found taking common medications with anticholinergic effects was correlated with an increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.

Anticholinergics are widely used for a variety of common medical conditions including insomnia, allergies, or incontinence, and many are sold over the counter.

One cause of cognitive decline with age

The discovery that a particular type of dendritic spine is lost with age not only provides a target for therapy, but also emphasizes the importance of building skills and expertise when young.

A rhesus monkey study has revealed which dendritic spines are lost with age, providing a new target for therapies to help prevent age-association cognitive impairment.

Cognitive ability, not age, predicts risky decisions

A new study provides evidence that it's not age per se that affects the quality of decision-making, but individual differences in processing speed and memory.

A study involving 54 older adults (66-76) and 58 younger adults (18-35) challenges the idea that age itself causes people to become more risk-averse and to make poorer decisions.

Gene variant may protect memory and thinking skills in older people

The role of the dopamine-regulating COMT gene in cognitive function has been the subject of debate. Now a large study of older adults has revealed that the Met variant of the COMT gene was linked to a greater decline in cognitive function. This effect was more pronounced for African-Americans.

The role of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene in cognitive function has been the subject of some debate. The gene, which affects dopamine, comes in two flavors: Val and Met.

Memory decline linked to an inability to ignore distractions

A new study provides more support for the idea that cognitive decline in older adults is a product of a growing inability to ignore distractions, and that forewarning doesn't help.

A new study provides more support for the idea that cognitive decline in older adults is a product of a growing inability to ignore distractions.

Personality may influence brain shrinkage in aging
  • An imaging study involving 79 volunteers aged 44 to 88 has found more brain atrophy and faster rates of decline in brain regions particularly affected by aging, among those ranked high in neuroticism traits.

An imaging study involving 79 volunteers aged 44 to 88 has found lower volumes of gray matter and faster rates of decline in the frontal and medial temporal lobes of those who ranked high in neuroticism traits, compared with those who ranked high in conscientious traits.

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