KEEP YOUR BRAIN ALIVE - Dumarsengraving.com

80 Pages·2002·2.59 MB·English

APR 2000
KEEP YOUR
BRAIN ALIVE
83 Neurobic Exercises
to Help Prevent Memory Loss and
Increase Mental Fitness
Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D.
& Manning Rubin
Illustrations by David Suter
3 1150007903129
Workman Publishing Company, New York
Copyright © 1999 by Lawrence C. Katz and Manning Rubin ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
retuS divaD © thgirypoc snoitartsullI
Cover and book design: Elaine Tom
W
-hctam ruo gnieb rof namkroW reteP knaht htob e
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically,
g npidulchni ,snoaemt reohto cyna oyb rop ,yllaycinoirtcneleg—without maker, and our editor, Ruth Sullivan, for her steadfast
written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in
faith in the project and her relentless pursuit of clarity and
Canada by Thomas Alien 8c Son Limited.
.lairetam eht fo noitazinagro dna gnitirw eht ni yticilpmis
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Katz, Lawrence, 1956- Larry Katz wishes to thank Doris larovici, his spouse, for
Keep your brain alive: the neurobic exercise program/by Lawrence C. Katz
her critical insights, advice, and editorial assistance, and Bonnie
.nibuR gninnaM dna
p. cm. Kissell, for unflagging administrative support of this project.
ISBN 0-7611-1052-6
tnurb eht gniraeb rof ,nibuR enaJ sknaht nibuR gninnaM
. C1. C2oogg n.nistiitroioonn—t—cAaPgfre oblems. ,M 3exee m.rccoitsreeys— , Age
. 4C o.sgrontictaiof .5An —g.citnPeg r,—soebsPilcesrmeyxcseh, o.slotcgeipcsaal of his burying himself in the research, writing, and rewriting
.ediT .II .gninnaM ,nibuR .I
-level reh rof dna ,sraeyB Fo724w.55t.C 6r3Ko3f8 1h998tiw dessesbo neeb sah eh
15388—881d-8c921
headed observations that helped the book. And he thanks
CIP
Larry for the voluminous work he has produced in keeping
Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk this book alive.
for premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use.
Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification.
For details, contact the Special Sales Director at the address below.
.cnI ,ynapmoC gnihsilbuP namkroW
708 Broadway
5559-30001w Y eYoNrNk,
aciremA fo setatS detinU eht ni detnirP
First printing May 1999
6 7 8 9 01
CONTENTS
Preface ........................................ .ix
C H A P T ER I
New uSrecoNibe enichf cBsToe: rain Exercise ..........1
C H A P T ER II
How the Brain Works ........................... .9
C H A P T ER III
How Neurobics Works............................31
C H A P T ER IV
Starting and Ending the Day ...................... .41
C H A P T ER V
Commuting ................................... .53
C H A P T ER VI
k .ro..WA..t ................................7-7
C H A P T ER VII
At the Market................................ .87
CHAPTER VIII
s e.m.itla.eM. tA............................9.9..
C H A P T ER IX
e r.usi.eL t.A .............................7.11..
PREFACE
A
s the population of over 76 million Baby Boomers ap-
gnivreserp fo eussi eht ,dnoyeb dna ega elddim sehcaorp
mental powers throughout greatly increased life spans has
tseretni gniworg a si erehT .hctip revef tsomla na dehcaer
in—and optimism about—preserving and enhancing the
brain's capabilities into senior years. With the help of power-
ful new tools of molecular biology and brain imaging, neuro-
scientists around the world have literally been looking into
the mind as it thinks. Almost daily, they are discovering that
many of the negative myths about the aging brain are, in-
deed, only myths: "Older and wiser" is not just a hopeful
cliche but can be the reality. In much the same way that you
can maintain your physical well-being, you can take charge of
.ssentif dna htlaeh latnem ruoy
egral a yb devorp tey ton erofereht dna wen hguohtlA
body of tests, Neurobics is based on solid scientific ground; it
is an exciting synthesis of substantial findings about the brain
that provides a concrete strategy for keeping the brain fit and
flexible as you grow older.
EV I L A NI A R B RU O Y PE E K PREFACE
done all this simply by looking around. Today was different. She
From Theory to Practice
could see nothing.
Jane reached into her pocketbook and fished inside for the
-tuo eht ni erew yeht yllausU .tnemtrapa reh ot syek saw ehs ,05 ega tA .dnilb enog ylneddus ton dah enaJ tuB
side flap pocket but not today. "Did I forget them?! introducing a lifestyle strategy called Neurobics into her daily
erugif ot s. oe.pN.ahhs eriy erehahett t rleef e.h"S activities. Based on recent discoveries in brain science, Neu-
out which one would open the top lock. It took her robics is a new form of brain exercise designed to help keep
eht fo kcilc emoclew eht draeh ehs litnu seirt owt the brain agile and healthy. By breaking her usual homecom-
ot dehcaer ehs rood eht edisnI .gninepo kcol ing routine, Jane had placed her brains attentional circuits in
the left for the light switch... but why high gear. With her eyes closed, she had to rely on her senses
gnihtemos od ot yromem laitaps dna ,gniraeh ,llems ,hcuot fo
bother? Her husband would do that
y ledraerhi ysde hdtn—A .tnenmtarapva riehg hgauotrhet
reh htiw ylthgil llaw eht gnihcuoT .retal
fingertips, she moved to the closet on the right, fo sesserts eht gnileef yb esnes lanoitome reh gnivlovni saw
found it, and hung up her coat. She turned slowly- fiad dnnad w evn idsetauerac slniozitcea deseht llA .ees ot elba gnieb ton
in her mind the location of thr ebe rthaabi nlnwe—i h oyowhltdhi ivisnciight chaer nteolerpuheonne f aon ds nanr-ettap tneref
.skrow sciborueN
swering machine. Carefully she headed in that direction, guided
-htrib fo esav a fo tnecs eht dna riahcmra rehtael eht fo leef eht yb This book will explain the principles behind Neurobics
day roses, anxious to avoid the sharp edge of the coffee table and and how the exercises enhance the overall health of your
.redlo worg uoy sa niarb
hoping to have some messages from her family waiting.
The table. The answering machine. She reached out and
brushed her fingers across what she believed to be the play button.
"What if I push the delete button?" she thought, and again checked
evah dluoc ehS .y .staYhege iosrs ts esarawdw ae thiys erus ekam ot
NEUROBICS:
The New Science of
Brain Exercise
~\ Tf "That was the name of that actor who was in all the early
(
V VWoody Alien filmu sko?Yn ow... curly brown hair... ?"
dluohs uoy nosrep a fo eman eht tegrof uoy emit tsrif ehT
ot ylekil er'uoy ,gniteem tne aitvtrooimpmt ail ,nweao nro,k
exclaim—only half-jokingly—"I'm losing it! My brain is
eht ni segami dna segassem yb decroo Jfetn lgli-enORi.n" rut
d lifmotr segrtiaefut qefehut lu nhoteyiws ,sa idem ssam
.enilced latnem gnitarelecca fo segats
". ..He was just in a Broadway show with, um, what's-her-name.
Oh, God, you know who I mean."
yeht fi tuB .streboR ynoT s'ti rebmemer od yeht ebyam dnA
llacer ot gniyrt deipuccoerp dna detartsurf emoceb uoy ,t'nod
rfoift iesse—itrof ruoy ni gninnigeb yllausU .eman deirub siht
sometimes even in your thirties—you start to notice these
small lapses: not remembering where you put the car keys or
EV I L A NI A R B RUOY PEEK N E U R O B I CS
tah etolfbemal nuueo y.g .nt s.iieol byr recorg eht no saw tahw new technologies, the traditional view of the way the brain
to understand the instructions for a new VCR or com- ages is being rapidly revised. Evidence clearly shows that the
.redlo teg ew sa enpiultcere. .d .or pfoergeetttisng awh eoret nthie coar gis poartk eed vbeacahus et y'nous leefot d niarb
the mall through a different door. In fact, in 1998, a team of American and Swedish scientists
Even though these small lapses don't actually interfere demonstrated for the first time that new brain cells are gener-
yrrow uoY .nac ekovorp yeht yteixna eht ,efil yliad htiw hcum t lhuduam nia dnetsa.1
-er nac ohw ,teirraH tnuA ruoy ekil tsuj emoceb ll'uoy taht tsom enilced latnem eht ,feileb ralupop ot yrartnoc oslA
member details of events from the Depression but noe vctre enw flo lhhsta.ead2 ytd aestsh ehet ot eud ton si ecneirepxe elpoep
-fid evah ohw elpoep htiw secneirepxe dnahtsriF .yadretsey did Instead, it usually results from the thinning out of the number
uoy ekam nac ega yeht sa yromem dna noitpecrep htiw ytlucif and complexity of dendrites, the branches on nerve cells that di-
anxious when you suddenly forget something ordinary. No rectly receive and process information from other
wonder you jump to the conclusion that aging is an inevitable nerve cells that forms the basis of memory. Den-
slide into forgetfulness, confusion, or even the first stages of dellac snoitcennoc ssorca noitamrofni eviecer setird
Alzheimer's disease. synapses. If connections aren't regularly
The good news, however, is that mild forgetfulness in saac t nsreootir-td ne^d eht ,^no dehctiws
tabmoc ot nekat eb nac noitca dna s'remiehzlA ekil esaesid a y tilibai sniarLb eht secJuder sihT .yhp 'F need *° I**
• r • • ^ry' '• I communicat-
it. Recent brain research points to new approaches that can to put new information into memory ^> .' ;/~\y •_- «»-„
to
be incorporated into everyday activities to develop and main- as well as to retrieve old information. \ healthy.
tain brain connections. By adopting these strategies, you may Growing dendrites was long thought to be possible only
actually enhance your brain's ability to deal with declines in in the brains of children. But more recent work has shown
.ytiliga latnem that old neurons can grow dendrites to compensate for losses?
taht niarb gniga eht tuoba shtym suoremun era erehT Other experiments show that neural circuits in adult
gniticxe fo pleh eht htiW .yliad gnivorpsid era stsitneicsoruen brains have the capacity to undergo dramatic changes—an
KEEP YOUR RAIN ALIVE
N E U R O B I CS
ability scientists thought was lost after childhood. The aging
Neurobic exercises use the five senses in novel ways to en-
,worg ot ytiliba elbakramer a evah ot seunitnoc ,revewoh ,niarb
hance the brain's natural drive to form associations between
adapt, and change patterns of connections."
eman a gnittup( snoitaicossA .noitamrofni fo sepyt tnereffid
Discoveries like these are the basis of a new theory of
together with a face, or a smell with a food, for example) are
-revo niatniam uoy spleh gniniart ssorc sa tsuJ .esicrexe niarb
the building blocks of memory and the basis of how we learn.
fo egrahc ekat uoy pleh nac sciborueN ,ssentif lacisyhp lla
trap lartnec a si snrettap evitaicossa wen gnitaerc yletarebileD
your overall mental fitness.
.margorp ciborueN eht fo
)7-6 segap( sgnidnif ecneicsoruen eht rehtegot gnittuP
Neurobics aims to help you maintain a continuing level of
-id del sesnes ruo tuoba wonk ydaerla stsitneics tahw htiw
mental fitness, strength, and flexibility as you age.
evif eht fo rewop evitaicossa eht gnisu fo tpecnoc ruo ot yltcer
The exercise program calls for presenting the brain with
senses to harness the brain's ability to create its own natural
-anibmoc suoirav gnisu secneirepxe detcepxenu ro enituornon
nutrients. In short, with Neurobics you can grow your own
tions of your physical senses—vision, smell, touch, taste, and
brain food—without drugs or diet.
-tap setalumits tI ".esnes" lanoitome ruhoeya rsiang l—lewas
drowN ehTe-reuxe lacirsyhpo ot noibsulla eitarecbiled sa si
terns of neural activity that create more connections between
cise. Just as the ideal forms of physical exercise emphasize using
different brain areas and causes nerve cells to produce natural
-ixelf dna noitanidrooc ecnahne ot spuorg elcsum tnereffid ynam
brain nutrients, called neurotrophins, that can dramatically in-
evlovni sesicrexe niarb laedi eht ,ytilib
-ueN 5.setirdned llec evren fo ytixelpmoc dna ezis eht esaerc
activating many different brain areas
rotrophins also make surrounding cells stronger and more
in novel ways to increase the range
.gniga fo stceffe eht ot tnatsiser
of mental motion. For example, an
-rexe niarb fo sepyt rehto morf tnereffid yrev si sciborueN
exercise like swimming makes the
cise, which usually involve logic puzzles, memory exercises,
elbapac dna llarevo tif erom ydob
,daetsnI .stset elbmeser taht snoisses ecitcarp yratilos dna
,ylralimiS .esicrexe yna no gnikat fo
KEEP YOUR RAIN ALIVE NEUROBICS
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS
FOR NEUROBICS
hguorhtkaerb elgnis a naht erom hcum no stser sciborueN c mifoilceecuplses -h-ltiihwe dewodne ylhcir si niarb ehT3 .
yb deterces dna decudfinding. Iot is a syntrhesis opf important new in formaetion raneurotrophins—w hich
about the organizatioynlla outfc tah tea hbtr taninei,r thuonw n iaitr ba fcoq udinrieks aa snad tca ot sllec evren
maintains memories, and how certain brain activities pro- promotes the health of these nerve cells as well as the
:edulcni sgl naribduntainf eresceuhadT .stineinrtun health of their neighbors and the synapses tjetweea .tib«opu*.
eht ni gninrael rehgih fo taes eht ,xetroc larberec ehT1. t onfu noemurao terohpT4h. ins produced by neiw c^Hs-^
brain, consists of an unexpectedly large number of did fnt-oops ern sllec evren llew wanohd
ferent areas, each specialized to receive, interpret, and made by other nerve cells—is regulated by howr
store information from the se, ntshsdeesr. oWwha tr yeohut eoxp neriIen .ceera sllec evrtheonse
e pnloa cneei hipntu s ddenosneee slsnl a'et ht hguorht brain cells are, the. more growtii-sisteBuJating 'i^i^i^
brain. they produce and die better they .respond/-
ehrau nxdetrreodc slarberec eht fo saera eht gnitcennoC .2 5. Specific kinds of sensory stimulation, especially lumwo"*
of different neural pathways, which can store memories tine experiences that produce novel activity pattsfn$ in
in almost limitless combinations. Because the system is nerve cell circuits, can produce greater quantities'•>*
so complex and the number of possible combinations of e gsreohwtth-stimulating molecules.8
brairt pathways so vast, we employ only a small fraction
of the possible combinations.
KEEP YOUR BRAIN ALIVE
Neurobics makes the brain more agile and flexible overall so it EHT WOH
ksat ,yromem eb ti rehtehw ,egnellahc latnem yna no ekat nac
BRAIN WORKS
performance, or creativity. That's because Neurobics uses an
ot woh no ylpmis ton ,skrow niarb eht woh no desab hcaorppa
work the brain.
T
ot noitamrofni setubirtsid dna ,sezinagro ,seviecer niarb eh
noitamrofni tnatropmi serots osla dna snoitca ruo ediug
for future use. The problems we associate with getting older—
forgegtninrfael yutluciffild gnnivah roe ",prahss" gnsileef t,on
.supmacoppih eht dna xetrocw t hleiannrgbse—reincv eohlvte
noitanidrooc dna lortnoc elcsum xetroC rotoM
Somatosensory Cortex
touch
xetroC rotomerP
muscle coordination
Visual
Association
Areas
Prefrontal Cortex
Visual Cortex ,roivaheb laicos
vision abstract reasoning,
higher cognitive
functions
Auditory Cortex
hearing
THE CORTEX
noitcnuf niarb rehgih fo taes eht