Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases

Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases
Author: Akhlaq A. Farooqui
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 405
Release: 2015-02-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1118840569

Diet and exercise have long been recognized as important components of a healthy lifestyle, as they have a great impact on improving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular functions, lowering the risk of metabolic disorders, and contributing to healthy aging. As a greater proportion of the world’s population is living longer, there has been increased interest in understanding the role of nutrition and exercise in long-term neurological health and cognitive function. Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases discusses the role and impact that nutrition and activity have on cognitive function and neurological health. The book is divided into two sections. The first section focuses on diet and its impact on neurobiological processes. Chapters focus on the impacts of specific diets, such as the Mediterranean, ketogenic and vegan diets, as well as the role of specific nutrients, fats, fatty acids, and calorie restriction on neurological health and cognitive function. The second section of the book focuses on exercise, and its role in maintaining cognitive function, reducing neuroinflammatory responses, regulating adult neurogenesis, and healthy brain aging. Other chapters look at the impact of exercise in the management of specific neurological disorders such Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases is a timely reference on the neurobiological interplay between diet and exercise on long-term brain health and cognitive function.

Educating the Student Body

Educating the Student Body
Author: Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 503
Release: 2013-11-13
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309283140

Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

Enhancing Cognitive Fitness in Adults

Enhancing Cognitive Fitness in Adults
Author: PAULA HARTMAN-STEIN
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 506
Release: 2011-08-02
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1441906363

Late life is characterized by great diversity in memory and other cognitive functions. Although a substantial proportion of older adults suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, a majority retain a high level of cognitive skills throughout the life span. Identifying factors that sustain and enhance cognitive well-being is a growing area of original and translational research. In 2009, there are as many as 5.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, and that figure is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. One in six women and one in 10 men who live to be at least age 55 will develop Alzheimer’s disease in their remaining lifetime. Approximately 10 million of the 78 million baby boomers who were alive in 2008 can expect to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease live at home, cared for by family and friends. In 2008, 9.8 million family members, friends, and neighbors provided unpaid care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. The direct costs to Medicare and Medicaid for care of people with Alzheimer’s disease amount to more than $148 billion annually (from Alzheimer’s Association, 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures). This book will highlight the research foundations behind brain fitness interventions as well as showcase innovative community-based programs to maintain and promote mental fitness and intervene with adults with cognitive impairment. The emphasis is on illustrating the nuts and bolts of setting up and utilizing cognitive health programs in the community, not just the laboratory.

Cognitive Aging

Cognitive Aging
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2015-07-21
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309368650

For most Americans, staying "mentally sharp" as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative effects on cognitive function in older adults - effects that vary widely among individuals. At this point in time, when the older population is rapidly growing in the United States and across the globe, it is important to examine what is known about cognitive aging and to identify and promote actions that individuals, organizations, communities, and society can take to help older adults maintain and improve their cognitive health. Cognitive Aging assesses the public health dimensions of cognitive aging with an emphasis on definitions and terminology, epidemiology and surveillance, prevention and intervention, education of health professionals, and public awareness and education. This report makes specific recommendations for individuals to reduce the risks of cognitive decline with aging. Aging is inevitable, but there are actions that can be taken by individuals, families, communities, and society that may help to prevent or ameliorate the impact of aging on the brain, understand more about its impact, and help older adults live more fully and independent lives. Cognitive aging is not just an individual or a family or a health care system challenge. It is an issue that affects the fabric of society and requires actions by many and varied stakeholders. Cognitive Aging offers clear steps that individuals, families, communities, health care providers and systems, financial organizations, community groups, public health agencies, and others can take to promote cognitive health and to help older adults live fuller and more independent lives. Ultimately, this report calls for a societal commitment to cognitive aging as a public health issue that requires prompt action across many sectors.

Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience Research at the Crossroads of Nutrition, Psychology, and Neuroscience

Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience Research at the Crossroads of Nutrition, Psychology, and Neuroscience
Author: Aron K. Barbey
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2019-01-23
Genre:
ISBN: 2889457222

Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field of research that seeks to understand nutrition’s impact on human cognition and brain health across the life span. Research in this burgeoning field demonstrates that many aspects of nutrition – from entire diets to specific nutrients – affect brain structure and function, and therefore have profound implications for understanding the nature of psychological health, aging, and disease. The aim of this Research Topic in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience is to examine recent empirical and theoretical contributions from Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience, with an emphasis on the following primary areas of inquiry. Nutrition and Brain Health An enduring aim of research in the nutritional sciences is to discover specific nutrients and dietary patterns that enhance cognitive function and brain health in the elderly. Although an abundance of evidence supports a single or a few nutrients for the promotion of cognitive performance and brain health, clinical trials using nutritional supplementation have been predominately unsuccessful. Further research is therefore needed to better characterize the contributions of specific nutrients and nutrient combinations to cognitive performance and brain health. Moderators of Nutrition’s Impact on the Brain A second major area of research in Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience investigates the mechanisms that underlie the effects of nutrition on brain health at the cellular, molecular, and circuit levels. Accumulating evidence indicates that the effects of nutrition on brain health are complex and multifactorial, reflecting the influence of particular nutrient combinations on specific brain networks and taking into account several moderating factors. Considerably more research is needed to elucidate the complex interactions between nutrition and known moderating variables – including age, nutritional status, genes, environment, and lifestyle – in determining nutrition’s impact on cognitive function and brain health. Personalized Nutrition Research at the frontiers of Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience establishes a personalized approach to nutritional intervention that takes into account individual variability in nutritional status, brain health, genes, environment, and lifestyle. The goal of personalized nutrition is to enhance the precision of nutritional intervention and to enable novel applications to psychological health, aging, and disease.

Diet and Cognitive Decline

Diet and Cognitive Decline
Author: Francesco Panza
Publisher: Nova Publishers
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2004
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9781594541216

The progressive ageing of the general population and the consequent increase of the number of old people has made the typical medical problems of aged people more frequently observed, and particularly the problems related to the ageing brain. This new book is an updated overview of relevant aspects of cognitive decline associated with ageing. Within the wide landscape of brain ageing the authors reconsider the role of the main predisposing factors and risk factors on the development of various form of mental decline, from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The strength of this book is the large, updated overview of the most recent data of scientific literature regarding the role of genetic, metabolic and environmental factors on the predisposition and onset of cognitive decline. Particular attention is paid to the dietary micro- and macronutrients and to their possible role in the pathogenesis of the various form of dementigen disorders.

Exercise and Cognitive Function

Exercise and Cognitive Function
Author: Terry McMorris
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2009-04-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0470740671

This textbook focuses on the relationship between physical exercise and cognition, a very timely and important topic with major theoretical and practical implications for a number of areas including ageing, neurorehabilitation, depression and dementia. It brings together a wide range of analytical approaches and experimental results to provide a very useful overview and synthesis of this growing field of study. The book is divided into three parts: Part I covers the conceptual, theoretical and methodological underpinnings and issues. Part II focuses on advances in exercise and cognition research, with appropriate sub-sections on ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ exercise and cognition. Part III presents an overview of the area and makes suggestions for the direction of future research. This text provides a cutting-edge examination of this increasingly important area written by leading experts from around the world. The book will prove invaluable to researchers and practitioners in a number of fields, including exercise science, cognitive science, neuroscience and clinical medicine. Key Features: Unique in-depth investigation of the relationship between physical exercise and brain function. Covers theoretical approaches and experimental results and includes chapters on the latest developments in research design. Examines the effects of both acute and chronic exercise on brain function. International list of contributors, who are leading researchers in their field.

Physical Activity and the Aging Brain

Physical Activity and the Aging Brain
Author: Ronald Ross Watson
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2016-12-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0128052627

Physical Activity and the Aging Brain: Effects of Exercise on Neurological Function is a complete guide to the manifold effects of exercise and physical activity on the aging brain. Cognitive decline and motor impairment, onset of diseases and disorders, and even changes in family structure and social settings that occur as we age can all impact activity levels, yet continued physical activity is crucial for successful neurological functioning. This book examines the role that exercise and physical activity play in halting or modulating the deleterious effects of these numerous aging concerns by first examining the current state of research into how exercise manifests physical changes in the brain. It then discuss how physical activity combines with other lifestyle factors to benefit the aging brain, including nutrition, computerized brain training, and social engagement. Most significantly, it also covers how physical activity can serve as therapy to help alleviate the symptoms of various neurological diseases impacting aging populations, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline. The book provides broad coverage of the effects of exercise and physical activity on the aging brain, its therapeutic effects, and the many factors that influence the aging process. - Presents research scientists with a complete understanding of the role of exercise in healthy brain aging - Considers the roles of nutrition, the mind-body connection, and other lifestyle factors - Presents a major resource for exercise and physical activity in the neurological health of older adults - Provides a synopsis of key ideas associated with the many aspects of physical activity, along with lifestyle factors that can modify neurological diseases and age-related neurological decline