A group of psychologists in London* were interested in the brains of taxi drivers. In particular, they wanted to know whether their visual-spatial memory was better than the rest of us.
There are many reasons why this would be the case. For starters, directions are taxi drivers’ lifeblood - they need to know their way inside and out of a city like London. They also have to take an extensive test called the Knowledge which requires drivers to know over 400 routes. It is such a demanding course that 75% of people drop out. Yet, there are fantastic gains for those who do stick with it. Of course, there is a financial incentive - drivers stand to make significantly more money once passing the test.
However, there is a surprise bonus as the psychologists discovered: taxi drivers have bigger brains! Yes, it is true. The part of brain associated with directions (visual-spatial memory) is actually larger is experienced taxi drivers compared to the average individual. The brain changes to accommodate the increasingly amount of information on navigating and directions that taxi drivers have to take in.
This is an exciting study because it demonstrates that our brain has a certain amount of flexibility and can expand in response to certain information. Previously, psychologists found brain changes only in patients who had sustained a brain injury, but in the case of the taxi drivers we see that all of us can benefit from working our memory muscles.
From TRAINING YOUR BRAIN for Dummies (due Dec 2010)
*E. Maguire et al. (2000) Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Psychologists were interested in how language skills impact Alzheimer’s*. They looked at a group of nuns in their study, as they didn’t smoke, drink, and had a similar lifestyle. They found that language skills in early adulthood were linked to Alzheimer’s in old age. Those nuns who kept a diary in their twenties were less likely to experience memory loss when they were older. More importantly, those who used very descriptive words to talk about their day had better language and memory skills than those who didn’t. What was even more fascinating is that although some of the nuns’ brains showed signs of Alzheimer’s, their cognitive skills, such as their language and memory, demonstrated no weakness! Some of these nuns were over 100 years old and were articulate and could engage in conversation. The nursing staff who were caring from them didn’t even know that they had Alzheimer’s. This is such an exciting study because it reveals that good language skills in early adulthood make a huge difference in decreasing our risk of getting Alzheimer’s and dementia. So grab a pencil and a book and start writing!
From TRAINING YOUR BRAIN FOR DUMMIES (due Dec 2010)
*Riley et al. (2005). Neurobiology of Aging.
I will be speaking at the British Science Festival this year on ‘Working Memory: The New IQ’ and thought I would give you a little preview of some of the topics that I will cover:
*The Genetics of Working Memory
What makes Gordon Ramsay, chef extraordinaire and owner of multiple restaurants around the globe, so successful, while his brother ended up in a jail for drug dealing and then homeless on the streets of London? Is Gordon Ramsay’s success in life related to his working memory? Do the genes we inherit play a role? Identical twins have identical genes, whereas fraternal twins share about half their genes. I have conducted one of the few scientific studies on identical and fraternal twins to understand the role of family in determining our working memory.
*The Spiral of Working Memory
It may come as a surprise to find out that working memory is linked to clenched fists and uncontrollable rage. In fact, boys with poor working memory are at greater risk of physical aggression and juvenile delinquency. I am working with juvenile delinquents and we will learn how their poor working memory led them down an increasingly dangerous path of crime. Evidence from my research demonstrates this spiral effect: young boys with poor working memory make criminal choices which damage their working memory (e.g., through alcohol, drugs, etc), which lead to worse decisions and more extreme criminal behavior.
* Tyranny of Technology?
With our ever-increasing reliance on word processing to help us write grammatically correct sentences, Blackberries to remind us of our appointments, speed-dial so we don’t have to remember the phone numbers, a universe of information available with a few keystrokes, are we impairing our working memory? What is the trade-off: what we do give up when we rely on new technology? Do Twitter-driven brevity and YouTube clips reduce our ability to engage in everyday life? In fact, technology can dramatically improve our working memory. There have been an influx of computer games and programs that promise to train your working memory muscle to Olympian proportions. But do they deliver? We have devised the world’s first working memory game that is clinically proven to improve grades for students as well as IQ. We look at the science behind different programs to find out what works and what doesn’t.
*The Twilight of Working Memory
Most of us worry about losing our memory as we grow old. I know I do. Will I forget significant events, meaningful relationships, even or how to perform simple daily activities? Understanding what we can do to train our working memory can have a tremendous impact in preventing memory loss and delay the signs of dementia.
READ THE SCIENCE FESTIVAL BLOG
You may be one of the 18 million people that watched the YouTube clip of Jill and Kevin dancing down the aisle on their wedding day to Chris Brown’s ‘Forever’.
What is it about weddings that make us feel good? Maybe you love weddings because of the free cake. Or maybe you like them because of you get to laugh at the bridesmaid dresses. Or perhaps, like me, you like weddings because it gives you a chance to share in a friend’s joy and reminisce with people you don’t get a chance to see very often.
Believe it or not, our connection to friends and family plays a big role in preserving our working memory. A recent study* showed that adults who spoke or emailed their family at least once a week and met up with their neighbors or friends for a chat were less likely to lose their working memory ability. Those who lived alone and were isolated were more likely to suffer signs of memory decline associated with dementia. The researchers suggest that regular contact with friends and loved ones provide a greater sense of purpose and emotional support that boosts working memory.
So what are you waiting for, call your mom. You know she’d love to hear from you.
* KA Ertel (2008). American Journal of Public Health
