flow in the bilateral hippocampi , an area underlying memory function and particularly vulnerable to aging and dementia .
“ Our research has shown that all brain training protocols do not return equal benefits . When targeting the brain functions that give us a mental edge in daily life , strategy-based programs prevail ,” Chapman said . “ This study highlights the potential to accelerate brain health in healthy adults by adopting lifestyle habits that exercise the mind and body . Future trials are needed to further develop and test neuroprotective programs that unite physical and cognitive training protocols for the highest health returns starting early and continuing into late life .”
Dr . Laura DeFina , chief executive officer of The Cooper Institute in Dallas and collaborator on the study , says the findings are encouraging .
“ We know that physical activity can lead to improved fitness levels . In our Cooper Center Longitudinal Study population , higher fitness has been shown to result in less all-cause dementia with aging ,” DeFina said . “ The current study highlights the benefit of training both the body and the brain , as both produce observable benefits . The initial findings are encouraging and underscore the need for a multifaceted approach when it comes to brain health .”
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and by grants from the Lyda Hill Foundation , T . Boone Pickens Foundation , and the Dee Wyly Distinguished University Endowment . | doi : 10.3389 / fnhum . 2016.00338
Reprinted with permission from the Center for BrainHealth
Sandra Bond Chapman , PhD is the founder and chief director of the Center for BrainHealth , a Dee Wyly Distinguished University Professor at The University of Texas at Dallas and author of Make Your Brain Smarter : Increase Your Brain ’ s Creativity , Energy and Focus .
Dr . Chapman has a remarkable gift for translating the complex world of cognitive neuroscience into easy-to-understand language . For the last 30 years , she has focused her research on how to make the human brain smarter and healthier . With more than 40 funded research grants and more than 200 publications to her credit , she is recognized as a leading thinker , transforming popular misconceptions about what smart is , when we are the smartest , and how to repair the brain after injury or in the face of disease . Her approach to the science of thinking smarter aims to help people of all ages improve creative and critical thinking , incite innovation and maximize brain performance throughout life .
For more information visit centerforbrainhealth . org .
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