We all know that trauma impacts us emotionally, but does it also affect our intelligence? A new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that children who witness their mothers being the victim of abuse, or experience physical or sexual abuse themselves, actually score lower on cognitive tests later in life. […]
Stress, Addiction, and Neuroplasticity –How the Brain Changes
We know that stress can take a toll on our bodies, but it also affects our brain. I’ve written about how it affects memory and the hippocampus. Research is now suggesting that stress also alters how we learn. This has ramifications for addiction and anything involved in the negative aspects of neuroplasticity. A recent review […]
Brain Science: Application is the Key to Changing the Brain
The New Brain Science 2012 series is off to an amazing start. We are humbled and gratified to report that more than 6,000 listeners from 44 countries all around the world have signed up for the series. (I’m sorry, due to a fluke in our system, I don’t have the number of people who actually […]
How Exercise Can Train the Brain and Even Compensate for Genes
Have you ever had a patient who, when trying to excuse some behavior or condition, blamed it on their genes? We tend to see genes as the determining factor for everything from our weight to our propensity to develop certain neurological diseases and while genes can play an important role in many areas of health, […]
Your Brain is What You (and Your Mother) Eat
There have been lots of studies showing that kids are more likely to be overweight or “sugar-holics” if their parents, particularly their mothers, are. Many of these studies have based their conclusions on the role that mothers play in selecting foods for the household and in building awareness (or the lack thereof) of good nutrition […]