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
