Brain training reverses age-related cognitive decline

August, 2010

A month's training in sound discrimination reversed normal age-related cognitive decline in the auditory cortex in old rats.

A rat study demonstrates how specialized brain training can reverse many aspects of normal age-related cognitive decline in targeted areas. The month-long study involved daily hour-long sessions of intense auditory training targeted at the primary auditory cortex. The rats were rewarded for picking out the oddball note in a rapid sequence of six notes (five of them of the same pitch). The difference between the oddball note and the others became progressively smaller. After the training, aged rats showed substantial reversal of their previously degraded ability to process sound. Moreover, measures of neuron health in the auditory cortex had returned to nearly youthful levels.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/uoc--btr071910.php

Reference:

[1672] de Villers-Sidani, E., Alzghoul L., Zhou X., Simpson K. L., Lin R. C. S., & Merzenich M. M.
(2010). Recovery of functional and structural age-related changes in the rat primary auditory cortex with operant training.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 107(31), 13900 - 13905.

seniors

Strategies

Related News

Impaired recovery from inflammation linked to Alzheimer's

Analyses of cerebrospinal fluid from 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 21 control subjects, plus brain tis

Tau protein travels with neuronal signals

Tau protein stabilizes structures that transport supplies from the center of the cell to the extremities, but sometimes some tau is not bound to these microtubules and instead clumps together into

Why sleep is disrupted in Alzheimer's disease

A study involving genetically engineered fruit flies adds to our understanding of why sleep and bioclock disruptions are common in those with Alzheimer's disease.

How inflammation and hypoxia damage the brain

A new study shows that a combination of inflammation and hypoxia activates microglia in a way that persistently weakens the connection between

APP found to also be involved in neurogenesis

A new function has been found for the

Prion proteins might help reduce amyloid-beta plaques

New research helps explain the role of amyloid-beta plaques in the development of Alzheimer's, by finding that the

More on how amyloid-beta gets out of control

Creating amyloid-beta requires the convergence of a protein called

Gardening as good as exercise in cutting heart attack risk

A Swedish study of some 4,000 60-year-olds has found that regular “non-exercise” physical activity such as gardening or DIY significantly reduced risk of heart attack or stroke, with those who were most active on a daily basis having a 27% lower risk of a heart attack or stroke and a 30% reduced

Benefits of exercise for older adults depends on genes

A year-long study involving 424 sedentary, mobility-limited seniors aged 70-89, has found that variants in a specific gene (the ACE I/D gene) affect seniors’ ability to benefit from exercise.

Importance of muscle for older adults

Data from the American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III, involving 3,659 individuals (men aged 55+; women 65+), has found that the more muscle mass older adults have, the less likely they are to die prematurely.

Pages