What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's - Neuro Note #4

   For this neuro note, I chose to watch a TED x Talk called What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's by Lisa Genova. I chose this because Alzheimer's is very common and I feel as though I don't know as much about it as I would like and I would like to know more. In this TED x Talk,  Genova talked about what Alzheimer's looks like in the brain. It is an accumulation of the protein β-Amyloid and plaques. She also elaborated on how lifestyle impacts Alzheimer's. People who are sleep deprived are linked to higher rates of Alzheimer's. This makes sense because sleep is when the brain regenerates. Along with sleep deprivation, cardiovascular disease, as well as other diseases like diabetes, is also linked to Alzheimer's. These were factors that seemed obvious, but what I did learn from the video was that neuroplasticity of the brain from increased stimulating activities would help prevent Alzheimer's. Genova explained how a "cognitive reserve" was a key aspect of preventing Alzheimer's. I learned that with future clients, it's important to not only incorporate activities but to make them stimulating for the brain if their diagnosis allows. It would be more beneficial to learn new things than retrieval when it comes to the neurotransmitters creating more synapses, which in turn creates more neuroplasticity. It would be beneficial to learn a new language, read books, and participate in brain-stimulating games or activities.

giphy.com

To check out this TED x Talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twG4mr6Jov0

References: 

TED. (2017, May 19). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twG4mr6Jov0