Along with the joy and love the holiday season brings, it can also increase our stress levels at times. Whether you’re caught in long checkout lines or stuck in traffic, taking a moment to decompress and practice mindfulness and can help reduce the stress of the season and even benefit your brain health and overall wellness.
Celebrate September is Healthy Aging Month
This September marks 30 years of celebrating Healthy Aging Month – the national observance focused on the positive aspects of growing older and encouraging everyone to take personal responsibility for their health. While you can’t control your genetics, research shows there are several steps you can take to maintain your health and quality of life as you age and live as independently as possible.
Ask the Expert Interview with Dr. Ronald Lazar
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) recently launched a pilot project to assess ways to help patients prevent cognitive decline. We caught up with Dr. Ronald Lazar, Director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at UAB, to tell us more about this innovative project, which integrates brain health assessments and coaching into the primary care setting.
New Gerontological Society of America Momentum Podcast Features McKnight Brain Research Foundation Executive Director and Trustee
With the growing hope and expectation that it’s possible to maintain cognitive health later in life, allowing people to age independently and enjoy the benefits of a fuller life, Angelika Schlanger, PhD, Executive Director of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation and Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, a McKnight Brain Research Foundation Trustee and Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the Jacobs School at the University at Buffalo were recently featured on the Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) Momentum Discussions podcast.
New University of Florida Study Finds Seniors Over Age 85 Who Exercise Scored Higher on Cognitive Tests
ew research led by neuroscientists in The University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions found 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.
Roy H. Hamilton, MD, MS, Elected to the McKnight Brain Research Foundation Board of Trustees
The McKnight Brain Research Foundation recently elected Dr. Roy H. Hamilton, a Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Hamilton serves as Director of the Penn Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation and Director of the Penn Brain Science, Translation, Innovation and Modulation Center.
Sharon A. Brangman, MD, Elected to the McKnight Brain Research Foundation Board of Trustees
The McKnight Brain Research Foundation recently elected Dr. Sharon A. Brangman, a leader in the field of geriatrics, to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Brangman serves as Chair of the Department of Geriatrics and Director of the Center for Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, and is a Distinguished Service Professor at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.
Dr. Ronald Lazar, Director of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Receives Funding from the McCance Brain Center at Massachusetts General Hospital
Ronald Lazar, PhD, FAHA, FAAN, Director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Pamela Bowen, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, BBA, Associate Professor, UAB recently received funding for a new pilot project aiming to demonstrate that exercise directly impacts cardiorespiratory fitness and has a broader effect across other risk factors, thus improving overall brain health.
The Healing Effects of Social Connection
Social connection has been widely studied as a significant factor in helping increase longevity, as well as better physical, cognitive and mental health. Commit to strengthening your relationships and connections with family this month in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
The Purpose of Purpose
Having and recognizing your purpose can help guide life decisions, provide a sense of direction and create meaning in your life. And, perhaps most importantly, having a sense of purpose has also been linked to increased longevity and keeping your brain healthy later in life.