How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age (New York Public Library talk)
This is the actual slidedeck presented by Alvaro Fernandez at New York Public Library on September 24th, 2014. Slides can be downloaded and used for educational purposes provided appropriate credit is given to SharpBrains and to the book The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age (284 pages; 2013). - Book: http://sharpbrains.com/book/ - Video from the full talk (75 minutes): http://youtu.be/wTQr2AiQ8os Description: Just like the rest of our body, the brain requires care, attention and proper exercise. Yet, we often ignore this most vital organ because few know where to begin. Based on the new and expanded second edition of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness --named a Best Book by AARP in 2011-- co-author Alvaro Fernandez will discuss exactly how to “use it or lose it,” offering a groundbreaking new approach to improving brain health and performance at any age, from children to younger and older adults. With practical and personalized tips for preserving and enhancing brain function throughout life, the new book combines a user-friendly tutorial on how the brain works with advice on how to choose and integrate lifestyle changes and brain training exercises to improve mental focus, build emotional resilience, enhance memory and ward off Alzheimer’s disease. Featuring a captivating and engaging independent analysis of hundreds of scientific studies published in the last 10 years, the book also includes in-depth interviews with 20 leading scientists who often challenge conventional wisdom and prevailing brain health thinking and care Speaker bio: Alvaro Fernandez, named a Young Global Leader in 2012 by the World Economic Forum, is the CEO of SharpBrains.com, an independent market research firm tracking health applications of brain science. He has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Reuters, and Associated Press, among others. Mr. Fernandez is the co-author of “The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age,” together with neuroscientist Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg. Alvaro has an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University, and a BS in Economics from Universidad de Deusto in his native Spain. He now lives with his wife and daughter in Washington, DC.
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How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age (New York Public Library talk)
- 1. Alvaro Fernandez September 24th, 2013
- 5. What’s New Since 2009 ① ② ③ Lifelong neurogenesis and neuroplasticity 2010 NIH evidence review Digital innovation
- 6. The future is already here Self-administered annual brain health check-up Biometrics-aided med-i-ta-tion Web-based brain train-ing to become safer drivers iPad-based cog-ni-tive screen-ings Cog-ni-tive base-line tests via a mobile device MS: online cog-ni-tive + drug-based ther-apy cCBT for insom-nia and depres-sion First brain-based bio-marker to pre-dict depres-sion treat-ment responses Lumos Labs and/or Neu-roSky will file for an IPO Edu-ca-tional brain fitness campaign by insurer Source: The Digital Brain Health Market 2012-2020
- 8. New mindset and new toolkit Education Content transfer Leadership Personality Health Heart health Brain Health Reactive, invasive Mental Health DSM-5 Brain Fitness
- 12. Solving the Brain Fitness Puzzle Source: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (second edition)
- 13. Ch 1. Start with the Brain in Mind
- 17. 5,000,000
- 19. Which words were on the list? BITTER CAKE HAMBURGER FLOUR SWEET PUMPKIN NEWSPAPER BAT
- 20. Ch 2. Be a coach, not a patient
- 21. What is Brain Fitness The general state of feeling alert, in control, productive. Having fit brain functions, as required to function in society, in our occupations, in our communities.
- 25. The life of a brain
- 29. “…we have found no ceiling for abilities such as attention, including among adults. The more training, even with normal people, the higher the results.― - Dr. Michael Posner
- 30. Ch 3. Mens sana in corpore sano
- 31. Ch 4. You are what you eat and drink (up to a point)
- 33. Ch 5. Oh, the places you’ll go!
- 34. Which job would you choose? Source: Maguire, Woollett, & Spiers, 2006
- 35. Ch 6. Oh, the people you’ll meet!
- 36. Ch 7. Manage Stress, Build Resilience
- 37. Ch 8. Cross-train Your Brain
- 39. Name the color of each word
- 40. Travel back to a time… when you felt a healthy exhaustion loving exchange most caring gesture most magnificent place Source: Five Good minutes, by Jeffrey Brantley
- 41. ―…meditation requires practice and dedication. It is not an easy fix… You need to match practice with need: understand the specific goals you have in mind, your schedule and lifestyle, and find something practical.‖ - Dr. Andrew Newberg
- 45. Does “Brain Training” “Work”?
- 46. How To Maximize Transfer To maximize real-world value of tool… 1. Targeted neural processes support real-world activities 2. Minimum ―dose‖ of 15 hours of training per targeted improvement 3. Addressing an individual’s bottleneck/ deficit 4. Adaptive challenge 5. Continued practice Source: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness
- 47. Ch 9. How to be your own brain fitness coach
- 48. ―Ideally, combine both physical and mental stimulation along with social interactions. Why not take a good walk with friends to discuss a book?" - Dr. Arthur Kramer
- 50. "A great start for making sense of new brain science and taking active steps towards smart health." —Misha Pavel, Program Director at the National Science Foundation "A stimulating, challenging resource, full of solid information and practical tips for improving brain health." –Kirkus Reviews "On a personal note, I have to say I wish I had read this awesome guide when I was much younger.‖ –Scientific American "...nice to see the new book, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, where all of the relevant information is in one place." – Greater Good Science Center at UC-Berkeley Library, www.Amazon.com
Editor's Notes
- Berlin, Brandenburg GateIn any case, changing behaviors is a very difficult thing to do, so we may need all the help there is…. Call on technology for help
- KEY IDEA(S)The hippocampus is a brain structure that deals with memory and with spatial information used to navigate.Based on the idea that repeated stimulation help build brain reserve (more neurons), if you lived in London, and wanted to grow your hippocampus, which job would you choose? Taxi or bus driver?Answer: Taxi driverWhy: Taxi drivers need to find new routes everyday = they EXERCISE their hippocampus everyday.Bus drivers follow set routes. Their hippocampus is active but is not exercised. Bus drivers fall in routines.This illustrate the difference between mental activity and mental exercise.
- KEY IDEA(S)This is a workout circuit seen from above. This is to illustrate the importance of Variety and Challenge. Cognition is made of several cognitive abilities: All need to get stimulated, the same way all muscles groups in the body need to exercise for a good and effective workout.Challenge is required to get enough stimulation (the same as at the gym).
- KEY IDEA(S)Whether a program “works” depends on:What abilities are supposedly trained: What is claimed by the developers of the program? Are there any well conducted studies showing that indeed the program train these abilities?What abilities YOU want to train: If there is not a match between what you need and what the program offers it is likely that the program will not work for you (but it may work for somebody else).