Can't Remember What I Forgot

The latest research on memory loss and the aging brain

By Sue Halpern

Alzheimer's, uninterrupted: The risk of having genes

By Sue Halpern on October 22, 2008 - 8:58am in Can't Remember What I Forgot

If Hispanics are more prone to Alzheimer’s disease, and you are not Hispanic, what does it matter to you? Plenty.
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Brain Exercises: Better than Googling?

By Sue Halpern on October 20, 2008 - 7:40am in Can't Remember What I Forgot

I was giving a talk not long ago and mentioned that as far as I knew, there was only one memory trainer, developed by Posit Science (www.positscience.com), that had gone through extensive clinical trials, when a woman raised her hand and begged to differ. Well, she didn’t really beg—it was more like she insisted. Read More

Drinking Causes Your Brain To Shrink? What else is new?

By Sue Halpern on October 14, 2008 - 11:13am in Can't Remember What I Forgot

Turns out all you need to do is have two drinks (or more) a day and, voila!, honey you've shrunk your brain. Such is the news coming out today from a study of about 2000 adults: teetotalers have bigger brains (in volume) than either light drinkers or heavy drinkers, while the brains of heavy drinkers are smaller. Before you and your shrunken brain pour that bottle of pinot Read More

Brain exercises: Do They Work (chapter 5)

By Sue Halpern on October 13, 2008 - 6:48pm in Can't Remember What I Forgot

By my count, there are three kinds of brain fitness programs--and, sorry to say, very little scientific evidence that they work. Read More

Brain Exercises: Do they work? (chapter 4)

By Sue Halpern on September 30, 2008 - 8:57am in Can't Remember What I Forgot

It’s safe to say that mental fitness has graduated in status from cottage to full-blown industry. It’s grown fast, and without much oversight. Read More

Brain Exercises: Do They Work (chapter 3)

By Sue Halpern on September 15, 2008 - 4:34am in Can't Remember What I Forgot

Of all the online brain gyms I’ve joined, the one I’ve been drawn back to over the years is “My Brain Trainer” (www.mybraintrainer.com). It has what I like to think of as the “Nautilus effect” –exercises that are quick and almost fun, rather like the difference between working out on Nautilus machines instead of doing endless repetitions with free weights. Read More

Brain Exercises: Do They Work (chapter 2)

By Sue Halpern on September 4, 2008 - 8:23pm in Can't Remember What I Forgot

A number of years ago, I met a Manhattan psychologist who had the idea of adapting stroke rehab software for average folks who were experiencing memory problems. These were not people who were sick but, rather, people in middle age who were not as sharp as they once were. They would come to his office and sit in front of a computer screen for an hour, negotiating mazes and mani Read More