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Lifestyle Effects on Memory & Cognition

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Current strains of cannabis may put users at greater risk of cognitive impairment.

A study involving 134 cannabis users aged 16-23 has found that when they were smoking cannabis containing a low percentage of cannabidiol they performed much worse on the memory tests.

Many studies have now shown that walking helps older brains fight cognitive decline, but a new study shows that this is also associated with improved connectivity in important brain networks.

A study involving 65 older adults (59-80), who were very sedentary before the study (reporting less than two episodes of physical activity lasting 30 minutes or more in the previous six months), has found that those who joined a walking group improved their cognitive performance and the connectiv

A new study adds to the evidence that berries and other foods rich in polyphenols help your brain fight age-related cognitive decline.

A number of studies have found evidence that fruits and vegetables help fight age-related cognitive decline, and this has been thought to be due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. A new study shows there may be an additional reason why polyphenols benefit the aging brain.

The association between obesity and reduced cognitive function appears to only occur, in older women at least, in those whose excess weight is carried on their hips, not their waist.

A very large study of older women has found that although there was a small downward trend in cognitive function (as measured by the MMSE) with increasing obesity, this trend was almost entirely driven by those with a waist-hip ratio below 0.78 — that is, for women who carry excess weight around

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.

  • 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:

A study of overweight children and adolescents has found that moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea was linked to both lower academic grades and behavioral concerns.

A study involving 163 overweight children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 has revealed that moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea was linked to both lower academic grades and behavioral concerns.

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.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea treated with CPAP therapy not only outperformed untreated OSA patients on a memory task, but they outperformed those without OSA.

A study involving 135 adults (33-65) has found that, not only did patients with obstructive sleep apnea who were being treated with CPAP therapy outperform untreated OSA patients on an overnight picture memory task, but they outperformed controls who did not have OSA.

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