Neurology Today's "Racial Discrimination Contributes to Cellular Aging and Neurodegeneration, Study Finds"

Summary: A study conducted by a multitude of investigators from various universities uncovers how more frequent episodes of racial discrimination were associated with proportionately greater resting-state functional connectivity between the locus coeruleus and the precuneus, connectivity alterations that are associated with DNA methylation age acceleration. MBRF Trustee Dr. Roy Hamilton is included in this study.

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The Conversation's :"How food preferences are linked to cognition and brain health - and why a balanced diet is superior"

Summary: A collaborative study between Fudan University in China and the University of Cambridge in the UK sought to examine how food preferences are associated with cognitive function, mental health, metabolism, brain imaging and genetics. They found that those who preferred a healthy balanced diet had better brain health, cognitive function and mental health than others.

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MBRF’s “New University of Florida Study Finds Seniors Over Age 85 Who Exercise Scored Higher on Cognitive Tests”

Summary: New research led by neuroscientists in The University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions found seniors aged 85-99 who regularly do both aerobic and strength-training exercises scored higher on cognitive tests than those who are sedentary or limit their exercise to only cardio.

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The Conversation: Aerobic and Strength Training Combined Can be an Elixir for Better Brain Health in Your 80’s and 90’s New Study Finds

Summary: Research, published July 31 in the journal GeroScience, included 184 cognitively healthy participants who self-reported their exercise habits and general physical activities found that seniors age 85-99 who regularly do both aerobic and strength-training exercises scored higher on cognitive tests than those who are sedentary or limit their exercise to only cardio.

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The Conversation: Ultraprocessed Foods like Cookies, Chips, Frozen Meals and Fast Food May Contribute to Cognitive Decline

Summary: Article from University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute Researcher, Sara Burke examining recent studies that have investigated the connection between diet and cognitive decline.

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MBRF’s “New Research Shows Adopting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Can Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia”

Summary: An exciting new study published in Frontiers in Neurology sheds light on how brain health assessment tools can be effective in minimizing risks related to dementia. The study also affirmed that improving a set of 12 modifiable lifestyle behaviors can reduce the risk of developing brain-related diseases, like dementia and stroke.

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American Academy of Neurology’s “Cognitive Activity and Onset Age of Incident Alzheimer Disease Dementia”

Summary: Study to test the hypothesis that higher level of cognitive activity predicts older age at dementia onset in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia found that an active lifestyle in old age may delay the onset of dementia in AD by as much as 5 years.

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American Academy of Neurology’s “Even in Midlife, Disrupted Sleep Tied to Memory, Thinking Problems Later On”

Summary: Research published in an online issue of the journal Neurology found that people who have more disrupted sleep in their 30’s and 40’s may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems a decade later. The study does not prove that sleep quality causes cognitive decline but shows an association.

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The American Journal of Geriatric Psychology “Purpose in Life May Delay Adverse Health Outcomes in Old Age”

Summary: Peer-reviewed study with MBRF Trustee, Patricia Boyle, as first author found that purpose in life delays dementia onset and mortality by several years. Interventions to increase purpose in life among older persons may increase healthspan and offer considerable public health benefits.

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National Institutes of Health’s “Individualized Clinical Management of Patients at-risk for Alzheimer’s Dementia”

Summary: Peer-reviewed study authored by former MBRF Trustee, Dr. Isaacson, and current MBRF Vice Chair, Madhav Thambisetty found that individually tailored multidomain interventions (education/pharmacologic/nonpharmacologic) may improve cognition and reduce AD/cardiovascular risk scores in patients at-risk for AD dementia.