Neurology in the Media

Neuroscientist Extols the Value of Exercise

The benefits of exercise for the brain are multi-faceted, according to a new commentary recently appearing in Quartz. Authored by neuroscientist Wendy A. Suzuki, the article offers accounts for how exercise helps to combat stress, increase happiness, and hone focus. Ms. Suzuki also discusses recent findings suggesting that exercise may even boost memory function as well as improve the imaginative functions of the hippocampus. The findings support the hypothesis that exercise may have vast benefits for brain health, according to Ms. Suzuki. “The hypothesis raises the exciting possibility that exercise could make students more imaginative at school and adults more creative at work, with broad benefits for society as a whole,” she writes. n

Source: Quartz

Further Reading: http://qz.com/592569/a-neuroscientist-says-theres-a-powerful-benefit-to-exercise-that-is-rarely-discussed/

Human Touch Sought in Uncovering the Link Between Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease

Sleep deprivation has long been associated with Alzheimer’s
disease in animal models, but a new human study may clarify
the link even further. A report by National Public Radio in January chronicles the story of a team of neuroscientists from Oregon Health & Science University who are using advanced imaging techniques to examine how lack of sleep may increase the
likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

Following on the 2013 discovery of a “cleansing process” via the glymphatic system occuring during sleep that clears toxins that form Alzheimer’s plaques, the researchers will use one of the world’s most powerful MRI machines to detect any potential changes that indicate precisely when the glymphatic system gets switched on in a person’s brain.

Source: National Public Radio

Further reading: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/04/460620606/lack-of-deep-sleep-may-set-the-stage-for-alzheimers