MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cognitive function'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:22:01 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182067&cid=t_148378_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182067 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5182067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169611&cid=t_148378_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169611 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5169611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960202&cid=t_148378_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FKL0ko4TEcXU%2F A couple of very interesting recent announcements show (in a military context) how well-targeted brain training can complement and augment existing approaches, both to help “normal” and “clinical” populations, in ways that silo-based, rear-mirror thinking often misses: U.S. Department of Defense Awards $2 Million to Brain Plasticity Inc. to Study Impact of Brain Training for Traumatic Brain Injuries (press release): “Brain Plasticity Inc. (BPI), a technology incubator dedicated to the discovery and development of novel technologies that harness the basic principles of brain plasticity to improve the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric disorders, was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the United States Department of Defense.” “The grant will fund a two-year... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960202 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:21:27 +0100 4960202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200564&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fimproving-health-for-older-adults%2F2010.11.24 New clinical trials and published research are giving us information on how to improve health in elderly patients. Here are some brief points from the Cleveland Journal of Medicine that were surprising to me: – Each year 30 percent of people age 65 or older fall and sustain serious injuries so preventing falls and fractures is important. Vitamin D prevents both falls and fractures, but mega doses of Vitamin D (50,000 mg) might cause more falls. A better dose is 1,000mg a day in people who consume a low-calcium diet.  – Exercise boosts the effect of influenza vaccine. – The benefits of dialysis in older patients is uncertain, as it does not improve  function in people over age 80. We don’t even know if it improves survival. Older patients who receive dialysis... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200564 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4200564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183341&cid=t_148378_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F19%2Fyour-brain-on-exercise%2F It is quite common to read about, or hear exercise enthusiasts explain the benefits that exercise has on the heart, muscles, lungs, connective tissue, and so on. But, I have rarely heard mention of how exercise improves brain health.  Although, there is plenty of evidence showing that exercise is beneficial to the brain. Exercise improves memory and learning in humans and animals.  Exercising individuals might be less susceptible to loss of cognitive functioning associated with aging or neurodegenarative disease.  One of the key mechanisms underlying these effects on the brain is neuronal growth in the hippocampus — an area of the brain important for cognition (Kobilo, et al., 2010). In an article published in Trends in Neurosciences (2009), H. Van Pragg made the following commen... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183341 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:08:35 +0100 4183341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133712&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmental-illness-and-the-right-to-vote%2F2010.11.03 Back in the 1970s, Kansas passed a law that could prevent people with mental illness from voting. The law was never used, but advocates were successful in getting an amendment passed that revoked that law. This law was passed at a time when stigma against mental illness was much higher than now. I’m guessing it was presumed that folks with a mental illness could not reason enough to exercise an informed vote, which is not true, of course. If 1outta5 have a psychiatric illness, including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, then there could have been a huge swath of disenfranchised voters. And there already exists, to a degree, a basic cognitive test for voting: Navigating the whole ballot process. In Maryland, ours was electronic and no harder to use than an iPad, but I could st... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133712 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4133712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865264&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffeeding-tubes-in-the-elderly-demented%2F2010.08.13 An article in [last] week’s New York Times entitled Feeding Demented Patients with Dignity suggests that hand feeding dementia patients may be a better option than tube feeding them. My God, are we really putting feeding tubes in the elderly demented? When did this happen? During college, I worked as a nurses aide in a nursing home outside Philadelphia. For 20 hours a week (40 hours in the summer) for two years, I cared for patients in all stages of dementia, from the walking confused through to the end stage, stiffened victims confined to wheelchairs or beds. But in all that time, I never, ever saw anyone with a feeding tube. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at The Blog that Ate Manhattan* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865264 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3865264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701676&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctor-to-patient-do-you-text-and-drive%2F2010.06.26 It’s time to ask patients whether they text and drive. An important perspective piece from the New England Journal of Medicine urges doctors to include that question during preventive health exams. The data surrounding texting and driving is grim: Although there are many possible distractions for drivers, more than 275 million Americans own cell phones, and 81% of them talk on those phones while driving. The adverse consequences have reached epidemic proportions. Current data suggest that each year, at least 1.6 million traffic accidents (28% of all crashes) in the United States are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting. Talking on the phone causes many more accidents than texting, simply because millions more drivers talk than text; moreover, using a hands-free device does... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701676 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:00:05 +0100 3701676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519411&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F176586%2F Do Fish Oil Pills Really Help Your Brain? A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that fish oil supplements don’t really improve cognitive function. (via TheGloss) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519411 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:05:21 +0100 3519411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338252&cid=t_148378_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F06%2Flearning-about-transcendental-meditation%2F Discussion tab makes clear feuding editors battling for control about tone and focus. I don’t know what to make of transcendental meditation personally, but I find studies like the recently published one interesting. I know people who use it and swear by its positive effects (but I also know people who use other techniques and methods and swear by them as well). I suspect some of the skepticism comes from the pseudo-religious nature of technique, or the fact that it costs money to learn it. But in my experience, many things worth learning cost money (look at my graduate education, for instance). My only concern is that if it is something that is “simple, natural, effortless, and easily learned,” why does it cost $1,500 and an entire day to learn? I’ve read enough t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338252 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:32:15 +0100 3338252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111532&cid=t_148378_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F0jq6uCe0MLg%2F We are announcing a new session at SharpBrains Summit (and please remember today, December 22nd, is the last date for early-bird registration fees): Monday January 18th, 2010, 3.30-4pm: The Future of Cognitive Health Tech – Intel’s Perspective Two researchers at Intel Corporation and the Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) Centre will provide an overview of why and how Intel Corporation is supporting R&D initiatives to help develop home-based automated applications to assess, monitor and help maintain cognition among older adults. They will also share key lessons learned so far, and outline challenges and potential guidelines for the field at large based on ethnographic research and first-hand product development. * Margaret Morris, Senior Researcher, Intel’s Digita... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111532 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:00:23 +0100 3111532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2408455&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6977 , U.S. Melanoma Rates Increasing Rapidly strWebsiteID = window.document.location.toString();strSplitWeb = strWebsiteID.split("/")strWebsiteID = strSplitWeb[2];document.write(”“); from the Malaysian Medical Resources VIDEO: DASH Diet Reduces Heart Failure Risk in Women, Cognitive Function Linked to AMD (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2408455 Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2408455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222588&cid=t_148378_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6219 strWebsiteID = window.document.location.toString();strSplitWeb = strWebsiteID.split("/")strWebsiteID = strSplitWeb[2];document.write(”“); from the Malaysian Medical Resources VIDEO: Stroke Outcomes Similar Among Hospitals, Synthetic Steroids Increase Cancer Recurrence Risk, Mentally Stimulating Activities Help Prevent Cognitive Decline (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222588 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2222588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1509844&cid=t_148378_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F309354311%2F Our fellow blogger Jeremy over at PsyBlog has written a thoughtful post comparing the value of a number of cognitive enhancing tools. His overall verdict? "The evidence for exercise boosting cognitive function is head-and-shoulders above that for brain training, drugs, nutritional supplements and meditation. Scientifically, on the current evidence, exercise is the best way to enhance your cognitive function. And as for its side-effects: yes there is the chance of an injury but exercise can also reduce weight, lower the chance of dementia, improve mood and lead to a longer life-span. Damn those side-effects!" Article: Which Cognitive Enhancers Really Work: Brain Training, Drugs, Vitamins, Meditation or Exercise? Jeremy, I started writing this as a comment to your post in your bl... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1509844 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:42:31 +0100 1509844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894215&cid=t_148378_122_f&fid=35055&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsarasotaneurology.com%2F2007%2F09%2F24%2Ffda-approves-new-alzheimers-medication-patch%2F The FDA has recently approved the dementia fighting drug Exelon in a patch form. The new formulation, Transdermal Exelon, offers patients a new and unique way to get medication which can help with improving cognitive function and slow down memory loss in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The new patch is also FDA approved for patients with Parkinson associated dementia. This is the second patch approved for use in treatment of Parkinson disease. The other is Neupro, a transdermal patch containing the dopamine agonist rotigotine. Transdermal Exelon joins the group of other medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, such as Aricept, Razadyne and Namenda. The patch for of Exelon offers the advantage of not having to take a pill twice daily, continuous medication adm... Sarasota Neurology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894215 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:04:16 +0100 894215