Senior Brain Health- Cognition or Perspiration? Patrick Foo Assoc. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Senior Brain Health- Cognition or Perspiration?

Patrick Foo

• Assoc. Prof., Psychology

Former Director, Neuroscience, UNCA

Collaborators

• Dr. Angel Kaur, Director Neuroscience
• Dr. Jason Wingert, Dept. Health Wellness

Promotion

• Student researchers: Sarah Luca, Elliot Nauert,

Keith Chichester, Jeannie Buckner, Catherine Welder, Serena Vonkchalee, Stephanie Rerych, Jacob Wisnoski, Clair Powell, Alex Schaeffer, Quentin Reynolds, Melissa Allen, and Abbey Allen

Are online brain training programs like Lumosity effective for improving cognitive performance in seniors?

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

Human Brain Anatomy– which structures in the brain are we training?

Let’s use less-complicated brains to start…

Human development of the blastula: a hollow ball of cells

Blastula forming a Neural Tube

Neural Tube forms into the Brain & Spinal Cord

What are the functions of each section of the neural tube?

The Spinal cord connects brain and body

Somatic Autonomic

All Chordates have a spinal cord, but their brains differ

The Hindbrain

Hindbrain controls our Physiological Needs (Homeostasis)

Hindbrain controls our Physiological Needs (Homeostasis)

Cerebellum allows us to navigate (safety)

Bony Fish (Nemo) that navigate have a larger Cerebellum

cerebellum cerebellum

Birds/humans have the largest cerebellum

• Accuracy, fluidity of

fine motor movements, & balance

Midbrain also keeps us safe (visual orienting)

Midbrain also keeps us safe (motor programs)

Forebrain (thalamus, hypothalamus, and limbic system) supports mammalian development and parenting

Forebrain (thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary) supports mammalian development and parenting

Forebrain (thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary) supports the 4 F’s (basic drives)

Forebrain (limbic system and basal ganglia) supports emotions, learning, movement The limbic system allows for shortcuts for intuitive responses Kahneman’s System 1, Ariely, Gladwell

Finally, we have a cerebral cortex at the (top) end of our neural tube

Reason & Logic, Rational, Abstract thinking e.g. Expected Utility Theory in Economics Kahneman’s system 2, Phineas Gage

?

The cortex supports high level perception and cognitive processing

Occipital: Vision (color/motion/texture) Temporal: Hearing (speech/language) Memory Parietal: Touch (pressure/pain) spatial orienting Frontal: Executive functions, problem solving, movement

Cognitive Brain Training focuses on the Cortex!

Memory, Speed, Attention, Problem solving (both Crystallized and Fluid), Flexibility

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

Cognitive Brain Training has been around for awhile!

• Ebbinghaus’ Memory test (1885)

– How many nonsense syllables can you remember?

CEF DAX YOV VUX GEX JID ZIL LAJ MYV

• John Ridley Stroop’s Flexibility test (1935)

– Can you inhibit “automatic” reading?

• John C. Raven’s Progressive Matrices test (1936)

– What is the next logical pattern?

Lumosity online Brain Training

Lumosity claimed skill transfer

• Training one skill, improving in another
• Working memory  fluid intelligence
• Cognitive flexibility  fluid intelligence

General Intelligence Fluid Intelligence Crystallized Intelligence

Controversy: will skills transfer?

Support

• Lumos Labs
• Jaeggi et al. 2008

Opposition

• Redick et al., 2013

Shipstead et al., 2012

• Melby-Lervåg, 2013
• Open letter, 2014

Class project created by Dr. Kaur

• Lack of active control
• Small sample sizes
• If Lumosity can help “any

brain” get better, why not test young brains at their peak?

What is “Fluid Intelligence?”

General Intelligence Fluid Intelligence Crystallized Intelligence

Crystallized Intelligence

• Crystallized Intelligence

– Facts, figures, rules; Math, language – Can be TRAINED

Fluid Intelligence: “Aha!”

• Fluid Intelligence

– Abstract thought, pattern recognition, visuospatial reasoning – Insight learning

Goals

• 1. Will memory and flexibility training transfer cognitive

skills to fluid intelligence?

• 2. Identify the effects of cognitive training in the

cognitively healthy and stimulated population of college students

?

Methods

Participants

– Undergraduates – 18-24 years old – < 1 week of formal brain training experience – 81 completed – Pre- and post- tests – Participants randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups – Brain training for 6 weeks

Pre/Post Tests: Memory and Flexibility

• Working memory:

Memory span

• Cognitive Flexibility:

The Stroop Task

Pre/Post Tests: Fluid Intelligence

• Paper Folding:

Visuospatial Reasoning

• Matrix Reasoning:

Pattern Recognition

5 Randomized Test Groups

Control 1: No Contact Control 2: Alternate Task- Sudoku Control 3: Crystallized Intelligence Task- Trivia Experimental 1: Memory Lumosity Experimental 2: Flexibility Lumosity

Did not engage in any “brain training” exercises Medium difficulty Sudoku puzzles, 20 minutes, 3-5 times per week Trivia games, 20 minutes, 3-5 times per week Memory-focused Lumosity™ training, 20 minutes, 3-5 times per week Flexibility- focused Lumosity training, 20 minutes, 3-5 times per week

Results

• Working memory
• Flexibility

All groups improved their memory F(1,79)= 10.200, p= 0.002, no sig. difference between groups All groups improved on the Stroop F(1,79)= 4.245, p= 0.043. no sig. difference between groups

Results: Fluid Intelligence

• Paper Folding
• Matrix Reasoning

All groups improved their memory F(1,79)= 5.593, p= 0.021. no sig. difference between groups. All groups improved their memory F(1,79)= 14.845, p< 0.001 no sig. difference between groups.

Conclusions and Implications

• Online brain training programs like

Lumosity can improve cognitive performance in seniors but only for specific tasks

?

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

What about Perspiration?

What about Perspiration?

fMRI measures the metabolic demands (BOLD Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent) of active neurons of 0.1-5% with increased cognition…. (e.g. Lindquist et al., 2008)

During intense exercise cardiac output can increase 400-800% and stimulate capillary growth and even neurogenesis via BDNF brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the (rodent) brain (Swain et al., 2003)

Increased vascular health is of course important for stroke prevention Can it also improve cognitive functioning?

Leg extension power predicts cognitive aging and global brain structure in identical twins (Steves et al., 2015). Nature vs. Nurture?

Humans show tantalizing links between exercise and brain health

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MV-PA) is more associated greater brain structural and functional integrity, than existing Higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (Burzynska et al., 2015)

“use it or lose it”

Only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular physical activity per week, & more than half of all baby boomers report doing no exercise whatsoever (TIME, Sept. 2016)

Does this mean one must become a gym rat?

Running outside resulted in significant increases in positive emotions and decreases in negative emotions, and higher pride with natural than laboratory running for recreational runners (Hansmann, Hug, & Seeland, 2007; Kerr, et al., 2006; McKay and Neill, 2010)

Green Exercise is better for you!

Less strenuous exercises like walking and being outdoors during free-time was evaluated as the most enjoyable and effective activity for recovery from stress (Crust et al., 2013; Korpela & Kinnunen, 2011)

Green Exercise is better for you!

Exercise can help prevent falls

Most fractures among older adults are caused by falls1

• Wrist fracture most often with forward/backward falls2
• Hip fractures most often with lateral falls (ages: >75)2

– About 20% of older people who suffer a hip fracture die within a year

__________

• 1. Bell et al., Med J Aust., 2000
• 2. Rubenstein, Age & Aging, 2006
• 3. Winter et al., Neurosci Res Commun, 1993; Maki et al., 1994; Horak and Moore, Phys Ther, 1989

Balance relies on Proprioception

• Balance relies on contributions from:
• Vision
• Vestibular sense
• Muscle strength & flexibility
• Reaction time
• Proprioception: The body's sense of how

it is positioned or moving in space

__________

• 1. Sturnieks, D.L., Neurophysiology Clin., 2008

Joint Position Error increases with age

20 40 60 80 5 10 15 Age RMS Joint Position Sense Error (degrees)

Spearman r = 0.60 P < 0.0001

JPS error increases with age (r = 0.60, p < 0.0001).

*

No Yes 2 4 6 8

Balance-specific Exercise RMS Joint Position Sense Error (degrees)

Participants engaging in regular balance-specific physical activity have lower JPS error (*p=0.02).

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

Art and Science of Meditation

Ameena Batada (Health and Wellness) Rick Chess (Literature and Language) Keya Maitra (Philosophy) Patrick Foo (Neuroscience)

GOAL: CULTIVATING GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MULTIPLE FACETS OF ANCIENT TO MODERN MEDITATION

MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction) meditation has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and improve emotional health (Creswell et al., 2014; 2016; Kabat-Zin, 1995; 2003; 2009)

Outline for today’s talk

• Human Brain Anatomy – which structures

in the brain are we training?

• Our study on Cognitive Brain Training
• Perspiration: Exercise and Brain Health
• Meditation and Brain Health
• A Holisitic Approach to health and aging

Take home message:

• Online brain training programs like

Lumosity can improve cognitive health in seniors but only for specific tasks

• Cognitive Brain Training improves just the

Cortex

• Exercise and Meditation may improve
• verall Brain functioning and health

So please don’t forget to enjoy the Autumn Weather in Asheville! THANK YOU