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        <title>MedWorm Tags: crossword</title>
        <description>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 'crossword'.</description>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.medworm.com/rss/search.php?qu=%22crossword%22&t=%22crossword%22&r=Exact&o=d&f=tag]]></link>
        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:15:45 +0100</lastBuildDate>
        <item>
            <title>Study: Brain Games Give Cognitive Boost</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118716&amp;cid=t_229566_109_f&amp;fid=34761&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26686253%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EStudy-Brain-Games-Give-Cognitive-Boost.htm</link>
            <description>At last, there is scientific proof that it&amp;#8217;s possible to boost generalized cognitive performance with specific training, in this case web-based brain games. For years, we&amp;#8217;ve heard first that we should keep sharp by doing crossword puzzles or similar brain-challenging activities, only to find later that research has been unable to prove their effectiveness in [...]
      CommentsPosit counts Dr. Michael Merzenich, a key figure in ... by Roger DooleyI'm a big fan of Lumosity. Can definitely see improvement in my ... by Ben MillerPlus 6 more...Related StoriesBrain Fitness: Skip the Sudoku, Be a VolunteerA Better Brain in Four DaysUse Your Cell Phone, Save Your Brain (Source: Neuromarketing)</description>
            <author>Neuromarketing</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118716</comments>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:38:24 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>5 Reasons for the Joy of Craft, or, Why Is Computer Programming Fun?</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077771&amp;cid=t_229566_109_f&amp;fid=34750&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F28%2F5-reasons-for-the-joy-of-craft-or-why-is-computer-programming-fun%2F</link>
            <description>I recently read (sort of) Frederick Brooks&amp;#8217;s The Mythical Man-Month. As I understand it, this book is a cult classic, and I was very curious to read it. It&amp;#8217;s about software project management, and even though that&amp;#8217;s a subject about which I know nothing, I found the book very interesting &amp;#8212; that is, the parts I could understand.
My favorite section was a discussion of &amp;#8220;The Joys of Craft,&amp;#8221; in which Brooks answers the question, &amp;#8220;Why is programming fun?&amp;#8221; This question interests me because it&amp;#8217;s such a good reminder of my Secret of Adulthood: Just because something is fun for someone else doesn&amp;#8217;t mean it&amp;#8217;s fun for me &amp;#8212; and vice versa.

Nothing is inherently fun. Some people find computer programming fun, or skiing, shopping, ...</description>
            <author>World of Psychology</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077771</comments>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:21:46 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>February Update: Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532379&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FsdlqkXmDu3M%2F</link>
            <description>This study supports that patients with vit­a­min D defi­ciency show an increased risk of cog­ni­tive decline.
Baby Sleeps and Brain Development: How much sleep a 12 month old baby gets can influ­ence the devel­op­ment of his/her exec­u­tive func­tions.
PTSD: Can we Disrupt the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories? A discussion of the dif­fer­ent tech­niques used/ under research that can help PTSD patients.
;
Books and Summit Updates
 
Visual Illusions in Art and Science: These surprising classic illusions illustrate how art and magic can help science in undertansing how we perceive the world around us.
2011 SharpBrains Summit Agenda: You can now view the latest Agenda for the whole Summit and a 3-minute clip to learn how the SharpBrains Virtual Sum­mit: Retooling Brai...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532379</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:07:18 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Do Crossword Puzzles Help to Counteract the Aging Process? If so, Which Ones and How?</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436845&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FhhTb65BWQDQ%2F</link>
            <description>In conclusion our research has shown that cryptic crosswords can help improve cognitive functioning in later life, which might not be the case for general knowledge crosswords. Overall the take-home message is continue doing the cryptic crosswords, even if they are a struggle!
—  Nicholas Almond has been based at the University of Leeds, UK, for almost twelve years. Nick has just completed his PhD in cognitive neuropsychology, which investigated the relationship between cognitive activity and cognitive decline in healthy aging.
.
References
1. Hambrick, D. Z., Salthouse, T. A. &amp; Meinz, E. J. (1999). Predictors of Crossword Puzzle Proficiency and Moderators of Age-Cognition Relations. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12(2), 131–164.
2. Dunlosky, J., Kubat-Silman, A. K. &amp; Her...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436845</comments>
            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:13:30 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Brain Games for the Weekend: One for each Cognitive Ability</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183396&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fmiilgyg-0P8%2F</link>
            <description>When I give a presentation about brain health and fitness, there are always a few people who come tell me afterward that they do crossword puzzles everyday. They heard that mental exercise is good for the brain so they are pleased and proud to report that they do the best they can to maintain their brain functions. But are they really? What if I was a gym instructor? Would the same people tell me proudly that to keep their whole body in shape they do biceps movements everyday, and that’s all they do? I DO feel like I was this gym instructor when I hear the crossword puzzles claim! Solving crossword puzzles repetitively is not the best habit for two reasons.
First, the first crossword puzzles one did were truly stimulating but the marginal value declines with repetition. You may remember ...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183396</comments>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:09:00 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>8 Tips for Improving Your Memory</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3933115&amp;cid=t_229566_109_f&amp;fid=34750&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F03%2F8-tips-for-improving-your-memory%2F</link>
            <description>Improving your memory is easier than it sounds. Most of think of our memory as something static and unchanging. But it&amp;#8217;s not &amp;#8212; you can improve your memory just as you can improve your math or foreign language skills, simply by practicing a few tried and true memory building exercises.
There are two kinds of memory &amp;#8212; short-term and long-term. Short-term memory is the kind of memory our brain uses to store small pieces of information needed right away, like someone&amp;#8217;s name when you meet for the first time. Research has demonstrated that short-term memory&amp;#8217;s capacity is about seven pieces of information. After that, something has to go.
Long-term memory is for things you don&amp;#8217;t need to remember this instant. When you study for a test or exam, that&amp;#8217;s long...</description>
            <author>World of Psychology</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3933115</comments>
            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:18:39 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>---</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706638&amp;cid=t_229566_87_f&amp;fid=36050&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F185764%2F</link>
            <description>Coffee may prevent Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s, but what&amp;#8217;s the catch? According to a story yesterday on NPR&amp;#8217;s Morning Edition, researchers recorded improvements in lab mice with Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s, but only if the critters got a ton of caffeine. Theoretically, the human equivalent would mean drinking at least five cups of regular coffee every day, but at this point these findings are inconclusive. So keep doing your crossword puzzles.
Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3)</description>
            <author>Breastfeeding 1-2-3</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706638</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:19:26 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>5 Quotes on Neuroplasticity-Based Healthcare and Innovation for an Aging Society</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3449018&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FRy1y-YiQKd4%2F</link>
            <description>Marian Diamond, UC-Berkeley: &amp;#8220;People frequently do the same level of crossword puzzles to stimulate their brains year after year. They do not challenge their brains with more difficult levels of puzzles. In our research, we showed that if we challenged the rats to reach their food cups by having to climb over many obstructions, their brains increased more than those of rats who could walk unhindered to their food cups. Challenge increased brain size.&amp;#8221;

Tom Warden, Allstate: &amp;#8220;&amp;#8230; we see the opportunity that cognitive training provides as just the next evolution of things that we can advocate and get behind that ultimately make for a better driving experience, a safer driving experience for people. Not only for our insureds, but to help the roads be safer for everyone&amp;#...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3449018</comments>
            <pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:45:14 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Just Puzzled -- Answers</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126782&amp;cid=t_229566_137_f&amp;fid=35426&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FUwhEqgJ3-4E%2Fjust-puzzled-answers.html</link>
            <description>You might imagine my shock when my mother did about half of the TV crossword puzzle that was in this week's Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper......By Bob DeMarco

Recently my mother scored a 12 on the MMSE -- Mini-Mental State Examination. Her current diagnosis is mild to severe Alzheimer's disease.



Every day, I put the crossword puzzle in front of her. Sometimes she gets a word, or two, or three. You might imagine my shock when she did about half of the TV crossword puzzle that was in this week's Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper.

Just the other day she turned the shower off for the first time in years. Actually, she did it two days in a row.

Here is the link to the previous article about the crossword puzzle -- Crossword Puzzle -- Or Just Puzzled? 
Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Roo...</description>
            <author>Alzheimer's Reading Room, The</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126782</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:39:36 +0100</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">3126782</guid>        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Crossword Puzzle -- Or Just Puzzled?</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3124690&amp;cid=t_229566_137_f&amp;fid=35426&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FBuwzb4AgjQk%2Fcrossword-puzzle-or-just-puzzled.html</link>
            <description>So today, I go and check mom's crossword puzzle. What the heck? Instead of a couple of three letter words she has about half the crossword puzzle.....
By Bob DeMarco

I put the crossword puzzle in front of my mother every day.

In the &quot;old days&quot; my mother would do crossword puzzles all the time. I bought her a subscription where she would get a new puzzle book every month -- she liked that gift. I even printed out crossword puzzles from the Internet -- she really didn't like dealing with the print out version of the puzzle.

So today, I go and check her crossword puzzle. What the heck? Instead of a couple of three letter words she has about half the crossword puzzle. Hmm.



Do you know the crossword puzzle answers?
What little Jack Horner found (4 letters).
&quot;___ in Trees&quot; (3 letters).
 Pe...</description>
            <author>Alzheimer's Reading Room, The</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3124690</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:25:31 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Brain Fitness: Skip the Sudoku, Be a Volunteer</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227842&amp;cid=t_229566_109_f&amp;fid=34761&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F4176451%2F11tb0w%2Fneuromarketing%7EBrain-Fitness-Skip-the-Sudoku-Be-a-Volunteer.htm</link>
            <description>Just-published research in the Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences shows that volunteering and similar social activities are helpful in staving off mental decline in later years, and can actually improve cognition.
      CommentsComments (Source: Neuromarketing)</description>
            <author>Neuromarketing</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227842</comments>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:14:02 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>The BBC Asks, Does Brain Training Work?</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772561&amp;cid=t_229566_109_f&amp;fid=34750&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F07%2Fthe-bbc-asks-does-brain-training-work%2F</link>
            <description>Dr. Adrian Owen, of the UK Medical Research Council&amp;#8217;s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, takes a critical look at the growing field of &amp;#8220;brain training&amp;#8221; programs and notes some of the same issues I&amp;#8217;ve previously written about (more than once). 
It appears the &amp;#8220;news&amp;#8221; article is in support of a BBC program airing tonight called, Bang Goes the Theory, which is running a brain training &amp;#8220;experiment&amp;#8221; on its website, the Brain Test Britain experiment. Ironically, the experiment designed for the web has four of the five problems listed below! I guess nobody who designed the experiment talked to Dr. Owen first. Oops.
The five reasons Dr. Owen gives for brain training not quite &amp;#8220;being there&amp;#8221; in terms of the research support are:

Research of...</description>
            <author>World of Psychology</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772561</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:37:51 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Education AND Lifelong Cognitive Activities build Cognitive Reserve and Delay Memory Loss</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2730216&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FWHlTXhmYm30%2F</link>
            <description>In a recently published scientific study (see Hall C, et al “Cognitive activities delay onset of memory decline in persons who develop dementia” Neurology 2009; 73: 356-361), Hall and colleagues examined how education and stimulating activities may interact to contribute to cognitive reserve. The study involved 488 initially healthy people, average age 79, who enrolled in the Bronx Aging Study between 1980 and 1983. These individuals were followed for 5 years with assessments every 12 to 18 months (starting in 1980). At the start of the study, all participants were asked how many cognitive activities (reading, writing, crossword puzzles, board or card games, group discussions, or playing music) they participated in and for how many days a week. Researchers were able to evaluate the imp...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2730216</comments>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:57:49 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Exercising Your Brain As You Age</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709197&amp;cid=t_229566_109_f&amp;fid=34750&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F17%2Fexercising-your-brain-as-you-age%2F</link>
            <description>According to a news article we published today, simple everyday activities are all we need to keep our minds sharp as we age, mixed in with a healthy dose of daily physical exercise.
The study measured over 4,000 participants&amp;#8217; brain and cognitive functioning over a 6 year period to arrive at these results. Boiled down to the basics, the researchers found the following activities help our brains remain sharp as we age:

Mental activities, like reading or doing a crossword puzzle

Physical exercise, generally the more the better (but even some, such as simply walking for 30 minutes per day, is better than nothing)

Remaining socially engage with your friends or family

Maintaining a positive attitude throughout life

Learning new activities, hobbies or anything that requires concentrat...</description>
            <author>World of Psychology</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709197</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:33:43 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Keeping Your Brain Active: 10 Tips For Improving Your Brain</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517300&amp;cid=t_229566_117_f&amp;fid=36026&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fkeeping-your-brain-active-10-tips-for-improving-your-brain%2F</link>
            <description>The other day I was listening to an interview on National Public Radio with Dean Oshler who has just written a book called From Square One: A Meditation, with Digressions, on Crosswords. During the interview I was surprised to hear Mr. Oshler challenge the widely held belief that regularly doing crossword puzzles is good for your brain fitness and can help stave off Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s disease. Oshler&amp;#8217;s problem with crossword solving is twofold: first, he believes the clinical data showing an advantage for puzzlers is both weak and only observational (&amp;#8221;[The researcher] never said that there was a cause-and-effect relationship. He said there was a correlation. Maybe it just so happens that people who are mentally fit have a tendency to want to do crosswords in the first place&amp;#822...</description>
            <author>Dr. Z's Medical Report</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517300</comments>
            <pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:27:30 +0100</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">2517300</guid>        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Daily Fun: Biochemical Puzzles</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249298&amp;cid=t_229566_131_f&amp;fid=35008&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F03%2F07%2Fdaily-fun-biochemical-puzzles%2F</link>
            <description>Just a short post about a blog where you can find biochemical puzzles and quizzes. Let&amp;#8217;s start with an amino acid crossword.

Further reading:

Dance Your Ph.D. Contest!
Medical Slang: Bury the Hatchet, Freud Squad and Hasselhoff!
Calling 911?
Sing this!
Monday Video: Amateur Transplants
Breathe: Doctors with Microphone (Source: ScienceRoll)</description>
            <author>ScienceRoll</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249298</comments>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:40:08 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Crafts, games and books can delay memory loss</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2201192&amp;cid=t_229566_117_f&amp;fid=36026&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fcrafts-games-and-books-can-delay-memory-loss%2F</link>
            <description>There&amp;#8217;s good news for those of you who like to do crafts, read books or play games. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have found that those people who regularly engaged in mentally stimulating activities during middle age reduced their likelihood of developing mild cognitive impairment in older age by 40 percent. Similarly, those who did these activities when they were 65 and over reduced their chances of mental decline by 30 to 50 percent. The key factor seems to be the degree of mental involvement or challenge of the activity, because those who simply watched TV all day did not show a reduction in cognitive impairment (some TV is ok, but watching more than seven hours a day was associated with more mental decline than less than seven hours a day).
The study involved 197 people betwe...</description>
            <author>Dr. Z's Medical Report</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2201192</comments>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:20:45 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Cars don't work because they don't fly</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2173830&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F536056048%2F</link>
            <description>Study Questions Effectiveness Of $80 Million Per Year 'Brain Exercise Products Industry for Elderly (Science Daily)
- &amp;quot;There is much research on the benefits of cognitive rehabilitation strategies among elderly who already experience mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease, as well as on the positive impact of physical exercise. The researchers, however, wanted to evaluate current research that would focus on the impact of cognitive interventions in the healthy elderly population.&amp;quot;
- &amp;quot;...they concluded that there was no evidence indicating that structured cognitive intervention programs had an impact on the progression of dementia in the healthy elderly population&amp;quot;
Comment:  we have not reviewed the analysis yet, so cannot comment in depth. However, just...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2173830</comments>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:10:15 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Update: Learning about Learning/ more on Brain Age</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2151002&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sharpbrains.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2F01%2Fupdate-learning-about-learning-more-on-brain-age%2F</link>
            <description>Here you have the January edition of our monthly newsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, simply by submitting your email at the top of this page.
Bird's Eye View 
Brain fitness heads towards its tipping point: How do you know when something is moving towards a Gladwellian tipping point? When health insurance companies and public policy makers launch significant initiatives. Dr. Gerard Finnemore provides a market overview, based on SharpBrains' client webinar held last December.
Ten Reflections on Cognitive Health and Assessments: Here are 10 highlights from several stimulating January events:?? Symposium on Adaptive Technology for the Aging (by Arizona State University), Health Bloggers' Summ...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2151002</comments>
            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:18:41 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Nintendo Brain Age/ Training vs. Crossword Puzzles</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2160939&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F531109479%2F</link>
            <description>We present a very complex task, mixing different forms of stimuli (auditory, visual) under time pressure.
- Designed for Transferability: The tasks can be designed in a way that do not allow for the development of task-specific &amp;quot;strategies&amp;quot; to beat the game. One needs to truly expand capacity, and this helps ensure the transfer of to non-trained tasks.&amp;quot;
brain age, Brain Training, brain training games, cognitive benefits, cognitive psychology, crossword puzzles, enhance intelligence, fluid intelligence, intelligence, Lieury, nintendo, Nintendo Brain Age, nintendo brain training, Rise of Nations, videogame (Source: SharpBrains)</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:14:48 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Preventing Alzheimer’s disease - a scambuster report</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1991740&amp;cid=t_229566_117_f&amp;fid=36026&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fpreventing-alzheimers-disease-a-scambuster-report%2F</link>
            <description>Last time, I wrote about Ginkgo biloba being ineffective for the prevention of Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s disease, which may have led you to wonder what actually can prevent it? In your Internet search, you might have been drawn in by the headline at CNN: &amp;#8220;Five ways to keep Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s away.&amp;#8221; Unfortunately, that article, as with many similar ones that abound on the Internet, is long on hype and short on hard evidence. The article is so misleading, in fact, that before I tell you what&amp;#8217;s really known about preventing Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s I&amp;#8217;d like to briefly puncture that particular hot air balloon.The CNN list of five ways to prevent Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s begins with antioxidants, and in particular, vitamins A, C and E. They quote a psychiatrist who claims that &amp;#8220;There are...</description>
            <author>Dr. Z's Medical Report</author>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:57:29 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Your comments on cognitive training, Posit Science, Alzheimer's Australia, gerontology, games and more</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852786&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F410658487%2F</link>
            <description>This report is interesting and it addresses many very important questions that cognitive neuropsychologists, such as myself have. I feel that many of the products on the market now make claims which are generally unsubstantiated.
I find it concerning that many of these programmes have been marketed to target older adults in particular without making any specific statement on whether the activities are beneficial and have been supported with empirical research.
i have recently conducted a cognitive intervention study which used a large array of outcome measures which focus on a number of different cognitive functions. The measures investigated both objective and subjective behaviours. The results confirmed that attempting cryptic crosswords for one hour per day increased subjective awarenes...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:18:28 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Social Connections for Cognitive Fitness</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1350138&amp;cid=t_229566_122_f&amp;fid=36582&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F263633134%2F</link>
            <description>This article was written by Pascale Michelon, Ph. D., for SharpBrains.com. Copyright 2008. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and has worked as a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts. She is now an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University, and teaches Memory Workshops in numerous retirement communities in the St Louis area.

attention and control, Baumeister, behavior, brain, brain functioning, cognitive, cognitive performance, cognitive tasks, crossword puzzles, depression, Gladstone, introverts, memory, mental fitness, Pascale Michelon, shy, social connections, socialization, Working memory, Ybarra (Sour...</description>
            <author>SharpBrains</author>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:09:35 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Mental Exercises - Create Your Own Crosswords</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914583&amp;cid=t_229566_158_f&amp;fid=36018&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fmental-exercises-create-your-own.html</link>
            <description>Looking for some mental exercise? At Crossword Puzzle Games I've found a new hobby to share with caregivers and seniors - creating custom crossword puzzles. Free software on the internet allows you to write your own clues and answers. Memory exercises and word games have been long recommended for seniors, or for anyone who wants a mental workout, and this adds a new aspect to crosswords.To write a crossword puzzle, first you list the words and clues, and then the software produces the information in a crossword puzzle format. For my own projects I am using trivia from historical eras for creating crosswords. For instance, I'm creating a puzzle now with trivia from the 1950's that includes words like &quot;hoola hoop.&quot;I'm always looking for activities for caregivers or activity leaders to use wi...</description>
            <author>The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News</author>
            <type>blogs</type>
        <comments>http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914583</comments>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:09:00 +0100</pubDate>
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            <title>Book at AARP Covers Crossword Puzzles, Gridlock, and Geniuses</title>
            <link>http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=875470&amp;cid=t_229566_158_f&amp;fid=36018&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fbook-at-aarp-covers-crossword-puzzles.html</link>
            <description>Caregivers and seniors, would you like to have some fun? Here is a puzzle to solve - Who is competitive, funny, &quot;punny&quot; and inventive? Answer: Crossword puzzle writers. At AARP Magazine.org you can read a review about an interesting book &quot;Gridlock: Crossword Puzzles and the Mad Geniuses Who Create Them&quot; by Matt Gaffney. Did you know that no more than one-sixth of the puzzle can be filled with black squares? Or that when the puzzle is turned upside down the pattern of black squares remains the same?It's all in the book along with the interesting psychology about the kind of puzzling people who write crossword puzzles. The stories about crossword authors as hypercompetitive and obsessive make them sound like &quot;type A&quot; personalities.The trivia behind the crosswords and the writers might help t...</description>
            <author>The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News</author>
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            <pubDate>Sun, 16 Sep 2007 16:51:00 +0100</pubDate>
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