1. Healthy Aging A focus on brain fitness
Julie Masters, PhD
Department of Gerontology

2. A quick thank you to:
Aging Partners
Peggy Apthorpe and Deb Peck
Jeanette Walsh
My partners in crime…Steve Wengel & Barb Bayer

3. Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind
Goals of Brain Fitness
Our goal is not to achieve a youthful brain – but to maintain our cognitive abilities. Would you want the brain of a teenager again?
Seeking out “neuroprotective” ways to maintain our brains
What can I do to maintain AND enhance my brain?
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

4. What do we know about healthy brains?
Minimal cardiovascular disease
A diet containing fruits and vegetables
Exercise, exercise, exercise
Stimulating and novel environments
A belief one can still learn new information

5. You can teach an old dog new tricks

6. Compression of Morbidity
Source:

7. Our fears Old-timers disease Senility
Not being aware things are going horribly wrong
Keep in mind there is more to the story

8. First point of contact for a potential memory
Sensory Memory
How it all begins…
First point of contact for a potential memory
What you see, hear, taste, smell or touch
Echoic memory (sounds) Iconic memory (sights)
Shows little change with age – esp. iconic memory
Large capacity, but short-lived store (doesn’t stick around very long)

9. ..without it (attention), nothing else matters!
Source: Google Images

10. Creating fit brains…
Source: Google Images

11. Frontal Lobe – the front man of the operation
Where it all begins!
Organizing activities
Maintaining attention – more about this later
Having flexibility
The executive center – structure and organization
The ability to ignore unimportant information
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

12. Attention and Self-Regulation – Stroop Test
Say the color you see and not the word you read
Source:

13. Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind
What the frontal lobe brings to the table
Processing new words and information
Ability to take in new information
However, while seemingly the key to overall success, the frontal lobe is dependent on other areas of the brain to not only learn information but to retain it.
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

14. Training the brain
Source: Google Images

15. Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind
Frontal Lobe Training
Cerebral challenges – to get out of same old rut
Turning your mouse on its side and learning how to work it correctly
Think about all the things you can buy at the grocery store that begin with an A. Write down the list and be sure to time yourself. Keep working through the alphabet to see how many words you can generate.
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

16. A close friend of the frontal lobe
Source:

17. Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind
Parietal Lobe
Responsible for visually guided movements
Eye-hand coordination
Reaching, pointing and grabbing
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

18. Training the Parietal Lobe
Pac-Man
Target positions
Track moving objects
Navigating changing environments
Avoidance maneuvers
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

19. Training the Parietal Lobe
Tanagram puzzles – seven shapes
3-D puzzles
Navigation Tests (mazes)

20. Temporal Lobe – The brains of the operation
Processing auditory information
Production and understanding of language
Houses the hippocampus
Ability to remember faces and places
Source: Tippett, W.J. (2013) Building an Ageless Mind

21. It’s all about US – what makes us who we are
Temporal Lobe
It’s all about US – what makes us who we are

22. Temporal Lobe training
Novel tasks are key
Nonsense words – consonant, vowel, consonant
Storytelling and recalling events
Foreign language – creating pictures and leave around the house to memorize

23. From eyes ->optic nerve -> occipital lobe
Processing what we see
From eyes ->optic nerve -> occipital lobe

24. Training the Occipital Lobe
Learning to wink with both eyes…

25. Eight Habits to Improve Cognitive Function

26. 1. Improving cognitive function
Exercise, exercise, exercise
Physical activity
Find a place you love and make it a habit to appreciate it year-round.
Enhancing cognitive abilities – getting oxygen and blood to the brain
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

27. 2. Openness to Experience
Learn the alphabet backwards!
zxywvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba
Learn a new language – starting with “A”
Do things that are unfamiliar and mentally challenging.
Flexing your memory and learning.
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

28. 3. Curiosity and Creativity
Ways to improve brain function
Reading a novel – getting into the story
Learning to play a musical instrument
Creativity increases with age!
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

29. Loneliness can result in cognitive decline
4. Social Connections
Loneliness can result in cognitive decline
Connecting with others by volunteering, socializing can help your brain
Ask lots of questions
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

30. 5. Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation can have wonderful benefits for the brain
There is some evidence that meditation may slow some age-related decline
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

31. Mazes and other games can help improve reasoning and processing speed
6. Brain Training Games
Mazes and other games can help improve reasoning and processing speed
Challenge your mind in new and different ways
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

32. 7. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep helps our brains to process our learning and memory acquired earlier in the day.
Not getting enough sleep is a problem for our brains and can actually reduce the “volume of gray matter throughout the frontal lobe.”
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

33. Stress can damage our brains
8. Reduce Chronic Stress
Stress can damage our brains
As stress increases so does the amount of cortisol in our bodies. We are in a state of constant fight or flight – not a good thing.
Managing stress can help us to regulate our bodies and live healthier lives.
Bergland, C. (2014). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Psychology Today

34. Next Steps…

35. Lifestyle for a Healthy Brain - a sampling
Don’t smoke
Physical exams & follow MD advice
Learn new info. & engage in complex & novel situations
Regular exercise – daily walking
Socialize – have fun & slow down
Financial stability – hire a financial planner
Promote spiritual health - & engage in daily prayer
Eat less & include antioxidants
Strong family & friend relationships
Do not retire and maintain a sense of purpose
Source: Nussbaum, Paul – Love Your Brain

36. Next Steps
Look for ways to enhance your brain fitness Protect your brain by attending fall prevention classes, routine physical exams, medication reviews Find ways to promote brain health in the community (OLLI & Aging Partners – Brain Matters: A brain health fair – September 24, 2014)

37. The Lost Keys