Lifestyle Effects on Memory & Cognition

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Sleep helps consolidation of a complex motor-learning task

Another study demonstrating the benefits of sleep for learning motor skills (in this case, a popular video game called "Guitar Hero III".

A number of studies have shown the benefits of sleep for consolidating motor learning. A new study extends this research to a more complex motor task: "Guitar Hero III", a popular video game.
Regular bedtimes linked to better language, reading and math skills in preschool children

A large study reveals language and math skills were all better in 4-year-old children whose parents reported having rules about what time their child goes to bed.

A national study involving some 8,000 children, has revealed receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, literacy and early math abilities were all better in 4-year-old children whose parents reported having rules about what time their child goes to bed.
Traffic noise disturbs sleep, affects morning performance

A sleep lab study has revealed that traffic noise during sleep produces significantly slower reaction times on a vigilance task in the morning.

It’s not just a matter of quantity; quality of sleep matters too.
Teenage physical activity reduces risk of cognitive impairment later

A large long-running study reveals that physical activity is always important for women wanting to prevent cognitive impairment in old age, but being active in adolescence is most important.

A large longitudinal study, comparing physical activity at teenage, age 30, age 50, and late life against cognition of 9,344 women, has revealed that women who are physically active at any point have a lower risk of cognitive impairment in late-life compared to those who are inactive, but teenage
Coffee consumption unrelated to alertness

A recent study indicates that the alertness benefits of caffeine may simply reflect the reversal of the fatiguing effects of caffeine withdrawal.

A study involving 379 individuals who abstained from caffeine for 16 hours has revealed little variance in levels of alertness after receiving caffeine.
Animal studies indicate caffeine may slow dementia and cognitive decline but human studies less conclusive
  • Several recent studies and reviews suggest that the benefits of caffeine for age-related cognitive impairment and dementia are limited. It may be that the association only exists for women.

A special supplement in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease focuses on the effects of caffeine on dementia and age-related cognitive decline. Here are the highlights:
Extending lifespan has mixed effects on learning and memory

Although roundworm research suggesting different effects at different ages is concerned with genetic manipulation, we may speculate that restricting your food intake is a bad idea for young adults but good for the old, while reducing sugar may be better for the young than it is for the old.

Studies on the roundworm C. elegans have revealed that the molecules required for learning and memory are the same from C.
Anorexia affects brain volume

Anorexic women when starved showed smaller brains, but happily this appears to be reversible.

A study comparing the brains 32 adult women with Anorexia Nervosa and 21 healthy women has revealed that when the women with anorexia were in a state of starvation they had less brain tissue (especially in grey matter) compared to the healthy women.
Link between cigarette smoking and IQ

Data from more than 20,000 18-year-old Israeli men has revealed that IQ scores are lower in male adolescents who smoke compared to non-smokers, and lower still in those who smoked more than a pack a day.

Data from more than 20,000 18-year-old Israeli men has revealed that IQ scores are lower in male adolescents who smoke compared to non-smokers, and in twin brothers who smoke compared to their non-smoking brothers.
Moderate drinking before trauma leads to more flashbacks

A study has found that those given alcohol equivalent to around 2 glasses of wine experienced more flashbacks from a video of serious road traffic accidents than those given twice as much alcohol, and those given none. The findings support the view that flashbacks reflect the reactivation of sensory memory in the absence of contextual memory.

A study in which nearly 50 participants consumed either alcohol (.4 or .8 g/kg, around 2 or 4 glasses of wine) or a placebo drink, performed a memory task, then were shown a video of serious road traffic accidents, has found that those given the smaller amount of alcohol experienced more flashba

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