Scientific American Healthy Aging Brain

JUDITH HORSTMAN is the author of The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain, The Scientific American Brave New Brain, and The Scientific American Book of Love, Sex, and the Brain. She’s an award-winning science journalist whose work has been widely published and is the author of four other books. Visit her Web site at www.JudithHorstman.com Scientific American is one of the most popular science magazines in the world.

• Acknowledgments xiPreface: Live Long, and Live Well xiiiIntroduction: Welcome to the New Old Age 1What’s Old, Anyway? 2How Scientists Are Researching Your Brain 3Part One How Your Brain Grows 7Chapter 1. The Well-Aged Brain: Older and Happier 9The Myth of a Sad Old Age 10Actually, It’s Getting Better All the Time 12Great Late Achievers 14Are Grandparents Safer Drivers? 16Do You Think I’m Sexy? Apparently, Yes—at Any Age 16A Swell of Centenarians: One Hundred Reasons to Take Care of Your Brain 20Chapter 2. How Your Brain Grows: Zero to Sixty 21In the Beginning: Your Fetal and Baby Brain 23A Brief Tour of Your Brain 24The Gray and the White: Neurons and Myelin 26Childhood: Building the Brain 28The Teen Brain: Not Yet Ready for Prime Time 29Get Smart Younger, Delay Dementia Older 32The Peak Years: Twenties to Sixties 33Chapter 3. Your Brain Growing Older: What to Expect in a Healthy Aging Brain 37The Usual Effects of Aging 39Do the Brains of Men and Women Age Differently? 40How Memory Works: The Short Version 41Why White Matter Matters 45The Aging Brain: Is It Less Connected? 46Forgetting May Be Vital to Remembering 47Five Things Most People Get Wrong About Memory 48The Good News: Slower Is Sometimes Better 51More Easily Distracted: Why Multitasking Is a Task 55Part Two Threats to Your Brain 59Chapter 4. What Can Go Wrong 61When Your Brain Needs Help: How Can You Tell? 64The Darkness of Dementia 67Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Subtle Loss 69Stroke: The Brain Attack 70A Healing Stroke 72Parkinson’s Disease 74Your Brain on Diabetes: Not So Sweet 75Traumatic Brain Injury: A Blow to Your Thinking Brain 77Depression: An Abnormal State 78The Legacy of Cancer: “Chemo Brain” 81Too Much of a Good Thing: When Medications Mess Up Your Mind 82What—Me Worry? 85Chapter 5. Alzheimer’s Disease: The Brain Killer 87What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? 88Chasing the Cause 91Contents viiAnxiety and Alzheimer’s Disease: Another Reason to Chill 94Maybe It’s Bad Neural Housekeeping? 97The Search for a Cure—or Even a Treatment That Works 100Looking Beyond the Brain 104An Ounce of Prevention: Marijuana Might Benefit Aging Brains 106The Future—Without Alzheimer’s Disease 109Part Three How to Optimize Your Aging Brain 111Chapter 6. The Big Five for Optimal Brain Function 113The Cognitive Shop 116How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Nimble 119Chapter 7. Exercise Your Body: Move Your Body for a Better Brain 123This Brain Was Made for Walking 126It’s Never Too Late to Start Exercising 127A Fine Balance: Yoga, Tai Chi, and Fall Prevention 131Chapter 8. Challenge Your Brain 135Educated Brains Stay Better Longer 137Why Testing Boosts Learning 138Do Brain Fitness Products Work? 139Computer Training May Keep You Driving Longer 143The Bottom Line 144Chapter 9. Nutrition: Fuel for Thought 147Glucose Is Not So Sweet to the Brain 151Forget the Fructose 152Omega-3, the Essential Oil 154Your Brain on Berries, Chocolate, and Wine: The Flavonoid Connection 155Caffeine: A Perk for Your Brain 162Is There a Pill for That? Supplements and Vitamins 163Chapter 10. The Social Treatment 167You’ve Got a Friend, We Hope 169Talk to Teens, Live Longer 171Finding and Making Friends in Later Life 173Chapter 11. Creativity, Spirit, and Attitude: Enrich Thyself 175The Art of an Active Brain 176Live Larger to Live Better 178The Power of Meditation for the Aging Brain 178Smile! It Could Make You Happier 181Attitudes Matter: The Optimism Factor 182Part Four The Future for Your Brain 185Chapter 12. Predictions, Promises, and Possibilities 187A Fix to Reverse Memory Decline 190Are You Saving for Those Final Years? 191RX for This Good Life 193Chapter 13. Living in the Now 195Living with an Aging Brain 196How We (Eventually) Die 197Going Out with a Bang: The Brain Surges Just Before Death 199Living in the Now 200Sources 203Illustration Credits 219Glossary 221Resources for Aging and Coping 231About the Author 235Index 237

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