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

If Hispanics are more prone to Alzheimer’s disease, and you are not Hispanic, what does it matter to you? Plenty. In a much emailed New York Times story recently, reporter Pam Belluck observed that Hispanics are more likely to get Alzheimer’s than members of other ethnic groups and then proceeded to ponder why that would be. She listed diabetes, whic Read More

Brain Exercises: Better than Googling?

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?

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 noir down Read More

Brain exercises: Do They Work (chapter 5)

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)

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)

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. My Brain Trainer has dozens of o Read More

Brain Exercises: Do They Work (Chapter 2)?

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 Read More