Your Brain

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How Conditions Change Your Brain

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on August 28, 2023

Written by Sharon Liao

 

https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-conditions-brain?

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Your Aging Brain

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on February 19, 2025

https://www.webmd.com/brain/cm/rm-quiz-your-aging-brain?

Brain Supplements That Do and Don’t Work

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on September 29, 2023

Written by Barbara Brody

https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-brain-supplements?

The Difference Between the Left and Right Brain

The phrase “left and right brain” refers to the anatomical halves, or hemispheres, of your brain. It’s popularly believed that the left and right hemispheres are distinct, controlling separate aspects of your cognitive functions and dictating certain personality traits. Studies have recently shown that the left and right separation is misunderstood. 

https://www.webmd.com/brain/the-difference-between-the-left-and-right-brain?

How Exercise Affects Your Brain

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on August 28, 2023

Written by Paul Frysh

https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-exercise-brain-effects?

Can Creatine Boost Your Brain Health?

You might already be familiar with creatine as a muscle-building supplement. The compound, which the body makes and is found in meat and seafood, helps form adenosine triphosphate (ATP). 

https://www.webmd.com/brain/features/cm/can-creatine-boost-your-brain-health?

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How Conditions Change Your Brain

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on August 28, 2023

Written by Sharon Liao

https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-conditions-brain?

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Brain circuit study finds control of behavioral decisions is similar in insects and mammals

The mushroom body—the learning and memory region in the brains of arthropods—is responsible for the ability of insects to make abstract behavioral decisions, which are then carried out by downstream motor networks.

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-brain-circuit-behavioral-decisions-similar.html?

Guide to a Brain Aneurysm

Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on March 09, 2024

Written by William Moore

https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-brain-aneurysm-guide?

 

Interoception: How Your Brain Listens to Your Body

What Is Interoception?

Interoception is how your brain senses and responds to what’s going on inside your body. 

https://www.webmd.com/brain/interoception?

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Wired for worry

Illustration: Caresse Haaser, Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Our brains are wired for negativity. Why it matters: It takes practice — and sometimes physical work — to push against that and bring in the positivity. ⚡ Catch up quick: We evolved to prioritize negative thoughts as a survival tactic, The Washington Post reports (gift link). "If you're walking to get water and you encounter a tiger, it's a great idea to stay focused on the tiger" and not on the pretty sunset, Alison Ledgerwood, a psychology professor at UC Davis told The Post. As a result, we tend to hold on to bad feelings and experiences over good ones. ? Reality check: There's a reason we're wired to focus on negative things: When we're experiencing real threats to our lives and livelihoods, it's key that they grab our attention. Think about anything from heeding an evacuation order before an impending hurricane to motivating yourself to start the search after losing a job. But dwelling on the negative can lead to elevated stress, depression and anxiety, especially if it becomes a daily — or even hourly — habit. The good news: There are concrete steps we can take. ✏️ Write it. Take time each morning or evening to actually write down a few things — however big or small — for which you're grateful. ? Make a folder. Keep a digital or physical folder filled with things that bring you joy. It might include photos of friends and family, kind emails from bosses or colleagues, or birthday cards. ⛅ Find the positive. It's the oldest trick. If you've had a particularly bad day at work or you've argued with someone you love, redirect your attention to a recent happy memory with that person or one reason why you love your job. The money quote: Emma McAdam, a therapist in Provo, Utah, told The Post that when we're stuck with negativity, we can try to "actively shift our attention to something else because attention is our greatest superpower." ps:Are we really wired to focus on negativity, etc.?????

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Bad Habits That Can Hurt Your Brain

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev and Jennifer Robinson, MD on July 05, 2024

https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/ss/slideshow-bad-brain-habits?

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Guide to Brain Cancer

Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on March 15, 2024

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/brain-cancer/ss/slideshow-brain-cancer?

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Why extroverts age better

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

Super-agers — people 80 and older who've got the memory ability of someone 30 years younger — don't have the same diet, medication or workout routine. But there is a trait they share, The New York Times reports (gift link? They love to socialize. Why it matters: Researchers believe continuing to see family and friends as we age can prolong the health of our brains. ? Zoom out: These findings come from an ongoing study at Northwestern of super-agers that began in 2000. In a new paper, out today, researchers detail their first 25 years of findings. Super-agers are united by "how they view the importance of social relationships … And personality-wise, they tend to be on the extroverted side," Sandra Weintraub, one of the Northwestern researchers, told The Times. ? Zoom in: We know that our brains atrophy with age. That's partly because aging typically comes with increased isolation and loneliness, which can bump up levels of cortisol — the stress hormone — in our brains, damaging brain cells and increasing dementia risk. But socialization is the loneliness antidote and could be helping super-agers avoid this decline, The Times notes. ⏰ Stunning stat: Northwestern researchers found that the brains of super-agers in their 80s and 90s more closely resembled those of people in their 50s and 60s than their own age group. Case in point: Consider the social schedules of Ralph Rehbock and Leigh Steinman, two super-agers interviewed by The Times' Dana G. Smith. ? "On the first Friday of every month, Ralph, 91, joins a group of older men at a synagogue outside of Chicago for a meeting of MEL: Men Enjoying Leisure. Every Friday afternoon, he performs classics from the 1930s and '40s with the Meltones, the club's singing group. And he's shared his story of escape from Nazi Germany with thousands of school children over the years, through his work with the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center." ? "Leigh, 82, spends much of his time working on art projects with the children who live in his Chicago neighborhood and watching the Cubs play at Wrigley Field, which is just a block away. He worked at the stadium as a security guard for 17 years before retiring at the beginning of the pandemic … but he still walks over three or four times a week during the summer to see former co-workers and fellow fans." The bottom line: The strength of our connections with friends, family and community members is one of simplest yet most effective levers we can control to live longer, healthier lives.

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What happens when your immune system hijacks your brain

Sometimes our immune system runs amok and attacks the organ that makes us “us” — the brain. It's called autoimmune encephalitis and it can appear out of the blue. The brain inflammation can cause confusion, memory loss, even psychosis. Doctors are getting better at identifying that rare but bizarre form of autoimmune disease but it's still tricky. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

WATCH: A rare autoimmune disease attacked his brain and robbed him of decades of his memories PHOTO ESSAY: A ‘year of unraveling’ when a man’s immune system hijacked his brain

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4 turning points for our brains

Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios

If you're close to your 9th, 32nd, 66th or 83rd birthday, you're approaching one of four pivotal shifts in brain development. That's according to a new study in Nature Communications, distilled by The Washington Post's Maggie Penman (gift link). Why it matters: The way our brains change throughout our lives isn't linear. Instead, these four turning points divide life into five distinct phases. ? Zoom in: During Phase 1 — ages 0–9 — brains are powerful but inefficient because we're learning so much, from language to motor skills. Phase 2, from 9 to 32, is adolescence. Our brains become more efficient, but they're still developing — and we're extra vulnerable to developing mental health disorders. "While in our society we may think of 18- or 21-year-olds as adults, this research adds to a growing body of work suggesting that the brain isn't fully developed or stable until our late 20s or even early 30s," Penman writes. Phase 3, from 32 to 66, is adulthood — a period marked by stability in intelligence, behavior and personality. Phase 4 — early aging — happens from 66 to 83. Brains start to deal with some of the consequences of getting older, like memory loss, but also benefit from some of the perks, like better emotional regulation. Phase 5 — late aging — comes after 83. Brains start prioritizing the most critical information and connections and letting other stuff fall away. ?️ Zoom out: We can't control many aspects of how our brains age, but there's a great deal we can control. For kids and teens especially, sleep is key to managing stress, anxiety and depression, the National Sleep Foundation notes. For older adults, social connection is one of the strongest predictors of brain health, with evidence it lowers dementia risk and slows cognitive decline, AARP says. ? Money quote: "There are pros and cons to every developmental stage," Katie Insel, a psychologist at Northwestern, told the Post. "[W]ith every phase of life, there are trade-offs where some types of cognition and behavior are privileged because of how the brain is responding to the environment."

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Challenging your brain helps keep it healthy. Here’s how to do it

Doctors often advise exercising your brain to stay sharp but stretching your brain might be the better description. Research increasingly shows a variety of habits and hobbies offer a helpful cognitive workout. One recent study linked lifelong learning — things like reading, learning another language, playing chess — to slower cognitive decline, even postponing Alzheimer's for a few years. It's not proof. But experts say lifestyle changes that also include physical exercise, controlling blood pressure, good sleep and even a shingles vaccination offer a chance at slowing deterioration as we get older. Read more.

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The Worst Foods for Your Brain

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-worst-foods-for-your-brain?

ps:EGW has said in one or a few other books that eating meat is very bad for the brain, especially red meat!!