- Free IQ Test and Brain Training Games
- "Try the IQ Test and other memory training games for free at Brainmetrix.com."
- Matching - Memory Game (FunBrain)
- The object of the game is to find all of the matching pairs of cards.
- Bad Memory-Reducing Drugs (MindBodyHealth.com)
- "Propranol, a medication used to treat high blood pressure, was found to reduce the memory of horrific events such as a plane crash." 11-05
- Memory Challenge (Time.com)
- Shows a competition in memory and ways to improve your memory. 04-11
- -04-29-08 Boost Memory and Become Smarter? (MSNBC News)
- "An intense game of Concentration or other demanding memory task might kick your intelligence up a notch or two, and the more you engage your brain this way, the smarter you might become."
"Researchers reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences say that brain exercises designed to improve working memory also increase scores in fluid intelligence. Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason and solve new problems. It does not rely on memory and is often thought of as having a strong hereditary component. Such intelligence is considered one of the most important factors in learning and is linked to academic and professional success, according to researchers." 04-08
- 10 Myths About Our Bodies (ABC News)
- "And that busts another big brain myth — that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Memory loss is not inevitable. Want to keep your brain young? Exercise it.''
" 'The data now indicate that an hour of games for 40 weeks can make your brain equivalent, your brain's real age, 10 years younger,' Roizen said." 06-06
- Advantages of the Middle-Age Brain (Time.com)
- "A study in the British Medical Journal lit up the Internet last week with the conclusion that cognitive decline begins at age 45. While it’s true that some innate skills like memory and speed of reasoning fall off as we age, other aspects of intelligence related to learning and experience actually improve." 01-12
- Bad Memory-Reducing Drugs (MindBodyHealth.com)
- "Propranol, a medication used to treat high blood pressure, was found to reduce the memory of horrific events such as a plane crash." 11-05
- Bright Lights Hold Off Dementia (Time.com)
- "When it comes to Alzheimer's disease, no one yet knows the best way to halt the gradual slips in memory and other brain functions that are the hallmarks of the disease. But researchers in the Netherlands have found that a simple nonmedical intervention may be just as effective as drugs to keep elderly patients sharp." 06-08
- Cognitive Decline May Start at 45 (Time.com)
- "A new study of British civil servants shows that cognitive skills such as memory and reasoning are already declining, typically, among people as young as 45." 01-12
- Compound in Some Foods Attack Alzheimer's Agent (Scientific American)
- " 'Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol occurring in abundance in several plants, including grapes, berries and peanuts,' says author Philippe Marambaud of the Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders in Manhasset, N.Y. 'The polyphenol is found in high concentrations in red wines.' "
"The scientists found that 40 micromoles (a measure of the amount of resveratrol in a liter of solution) cut levels of the Alzheimer's-associated molecules--amyloid-beta peptides--by more than half." 9-03
- Exercise to Improve Health (USA Today)
- "Besides reducing belly fat, physical activity lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and the risk of diabetes and cancer. It reduces depression and anxiety, and it improves bone and joint health, sex drive, sleep and memory, he [Church] says."
"But Church notes that fewer than 25% of Americans meet the minimum guidelines of being moderately active for 30 minutes five or more days a week, estimates show."
" 'The average American doesn't understand that other than not smoking, exercise is the most important thing you can do for your health,' Church says. 'They think exercising is a health suggestion on par with leaving mayonnaise off their sandwich.' "
- Fruit and Vegetables May Protect From Memory Losses (MSNBC News)
- "Purple fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, cranberries and Concord grapes, may be especially beneficial for the brain, says Joseph. In a study on aging mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's, Joseph was able to improve their cognitive function by feeding the animals a diet high in blueberries." 11-06
- How We Can Improve Our Brain (HowLifeWorks.com)
- "Neuroscientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can significantly improve our basic cognitive functions. Thinking is essentially a process of making neural connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to excel in making the neural connections that drive intelligence is inherited. However, because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate according to mental effort." 02-13
- Kim Peek, the Original Rain Man (Telegraph.co.uk)
- Neuroscientists who conducted tests discovered that he had no corpus callosum, the membrane that separates the two hemispheres of the brain and filters information. This meant that Peek's brain was effectively the equivalent of a giant databank, giving him his photographic memory. He was also the only savant known to science who could read two pages of a book simultaneously – one with each eye, regardless of whether it was upside down or sideways on. His ability to retain 98 per cent of the information he absorbed led to his designation 'mega-savant' '."
"The five universities which studied him in his adult life decided that he was a genius in at least 15 subjects, including music, geography, history and mathematics. Most savants reach a similar level in one or two subjects. Even more remarkably, doctors found that his powers increased as he aged." 12-12
- Longevity: Fruit and Vegetables May Protect From Memory Losses (MSNBC News)
- "Purple fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, cranberries and Concord grapes, may be especially beneficial for the brain, says Joseph. In a study on aging mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's, Joseph was able to improve their cognitive function by feeding the animals a diet high in blueberries." 11-06
- Lumosity Brain Exercises (Techland.com)
- "It doesn't take a genius to realize why web-based brain training website Lumosity grew 400 percent to 11 million users in 190 countries last year. That's because the mentally stimulating website not only helps scientists understand how the brain works, but provides puzzles that help you use your memory and thought processes."
" 'We can dig through the database to get a better understanding of how people can improve their cognitive performance,' co-founder and Chief Science Officer Mike Scanlan told Mashable."
"The website was started in 2007 in collaboration with Stanford, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon and Columbia University. Scientists use player's data to understand how the brain functions, and the company creates games to fit the findings." 02-11
- Lumosity Brain Exercises (Techland.com)
- "It doesn't take a genius to realize why web-based brain training website Lumosity grew 400 percent to 11 million users in 190 countries last year. That's because the mentally stimulating website not only helps scientists understand how the brain works, but provides puzzles that help you use your memory and thought processes."
" 'We can dig through the database to get a better understanding of how people can improve their cognitive performance,' co-founder and Chief Science Officer Mike Scanlan told Mashable."
"The website was started in 2007 in collaboration with Stanford, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon and Columbia University. Scientists use player's data to understand how the brain functions, and the company creates games to fit the findings." 02-11
- Memories Have "Plasticity" (ScienceDaily.com)
- "Dissecting the mechanisms behind emotional memory is important because the region of the brain that governs this also controls fear and anxiety. That is why an emotional memory, such as a traumatic car accident, can activate the autonomic nervous system, causing bodily responses like an increase in heart rate, sweating and blood pressure -- even if you don't realize it." 01-07
- Memory Champ Shares Methods (CNN News)
- "Napolitano says that while he agrees people can pick up on Dellis' techniques, Dellis might be too modest."
"The first time I memorized a deck of cards, it took 10 minutes, and I said, 'I can't do it in a minute. That doesn't even make sense,' Napolitano said. 'I think he functions differently than other people. ... Not everyone born can throw a 90 mph fast ball.' "
"So it stands to reason that eliminating carbohydrates from the diet might reduce the brain's source of energy and affect brain function. But there has been little research examining this hypothesis in people following low-carb weight loss diets." 02-09
- Memory Loss and Vitamin B12 (New York Times)
- "As we age, our ability to absorb B12 from food declines, and often so does our consumption of foods rich in this vitamin. A B12 deficiency can creep up without warning and cause a host of confusing symptoms that are likely to be misdiagnosed or ascribed to aging." 12-11
- Memory Loss that Is Not Alzheimer's Disease (Caring.com)
- "It's hard not to think of Alzheimer's disease when memory loss or a memory lapse darkens your day. After all, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are constantly in the headlines -- and of the more than five million affected Americans, 200,000 are under age 65. But many other situations can also produce this worrisome symptom." 05-11
- Memory Loss that Is Not Alzheimer's Disease (Caring.com)
- "It's hard not to think of Alzheimer's disease when memory loss or a memory lapse darkens your day. After all, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are constantly in the headlines -- and of the more than five million affected Americans, 200,000 are under age 65. But many other situations can also produce this worrisome symptom." 05-11
- Memory Techniques and Mnemonics
- Memory Techniques and Mnemonics
- Music Training May Increase Memory in Children (CBS News)
- "Researchers have found that not only did the brains of young, musically trained children respond differently to hearing music, but musical training also appeared to improve the children's memories over the course of a year." 09-06
- Study: Effective Test for Alzheimer's Disease Found (New York Times)
- "Researchers report that a spinal fluid test can be 100 percent accurate in identifying patients with significant memory loss who are on their way to developing Alzheimer’s disease." 08-10
- Study: Low Carbs and Memory (CBS News)
- "Eliminating carbohydrates from your diet may help you lose weight, but it could leave you fuzzy headed and forgetful, a new study suggests."
"The body breaks carbohydrates into glucose, which it uses to fuel brain activity. Proteins break down into glycogen, which can also be used for fuel by the brain, but not as efficiently as glucose."
"So it stands to reason that eliminating carbohydrates from the diet might reduce the brain's source of energy and affect brain function. But there has been little research examining this hypothesis in people following low-carb weight loss diets." 02-09
- Study: Sleep Aids Memory (CBS News)
- "The group that slept before the exam scored 13% better on the follow-up test than the no-sleep group, the study shows.” 07-06
- Woman With Perfect Memory Baffles Scientists (ABC News)
- AJ's "degree of recall is so much greater than any other person's in the scientific literature that it [her method of categorizing] seems unlikely to be the complete answer, McGaugh adds."
"She is also quite different from savants who have surfaced from time to time with extraordinary abilities in music, art or memory." 3-06
- Alzheimer's Disease - Memory Loss in Mice Reversed (Scientific American)
- More than four million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease and the number is expected to balloon as the population ages. The results of a new mouse study offer fresh hope that the damage inflicted by the disease could be at least partially reversible."
"In humans, two different substances that accumulate in the brain are implicated in Alzheimer's: twisted neurofibrillary tangles, which include tau proteins, and amyloid deposits comprised of toxic plaque build-up. For the study mice, after the mutant tau gene was dampened and some memory regained, their neuron numbers stabilized but the tangles remained. The tangles themselves may therefore not be responsible for causing memory problems, at least in mice." 7-05