- Wear your watch on the opposite wrist that you typically wear it on
- Wear your watch upside down
- Turn picture frames in your house upside down
- Name body parts that have 3 letters in them
- Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand
- Take a walk opposite your normal route
These are some of the challenges posed by our Brain Neurobics coach and expert brain teasers, Cheryl Deep and Donna MacDonald of the Institute of Gerontology. They frequent senior centers posing such challenges to work out the brains of older adults throughout Southeast Michigan based on the research of Dr. Lawrence Katz. I’ve attended quite a few of these programs and been perplexed among the partakers painted with bemused expressions… while we neurobicized together.
Cheryl Deep explains to crowds that activities that challenge your brain provide stimulation of new neurons and pathways from the 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections in the brain. Donna challenges older adults to exercise at least 3 times a week stressing that the brain only represents one to five percent of our body mass but needs 20% of our body’s total oxygen.
When you’re doing your next workout, challenge yourself to do something backwards to exercise your mind as well as your body. Other recommendations from our whistle blowing Neurobics coaches (they don’t actually use a whistle, more a soft spoken warm approach):
- Get plenty of good sleep
- Stay in touch with friends
- Avoid stress
- Exercise
- Stop smoking
- Remember to neurobicize!
For more information on this and other programming visit us here.
To learn more about Cheryl Deep visit her profile page here.
To learn more about Donna Macdonald visit her profile page here.
In academia, many professors remain working and teaching long past traditional retirement age, leaving younger potential professors shut out from highly coveted full-time, tenured positions. As part of a series on older workers, economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on how institutions are negotiating with aging faculty.
View the video:
Colleges and Universities See Graying Workforce Holding On to Coveted Positions
Karen Rodrigue, former IOG trainee
What does your research focus on?
My research focuses on how age-related changes in the brain relate to the cognitive decline that we observe over the lifespan in healthy aging. We are particularly interested in how genetic and health factors work independently and interactively to modify neurocognitive aging. We use a wide variety of cognitive measures and structural and functional MRI, as well as PET amyloid imaging in our research.
What drew you to this line of research and why is it exciting to you?
The human brain is intrinsically fascinating. We are our brains, in a general sense. Understanding how the brain works allows us to function well, and knowledge of how it can change to impair our ability to think and solve problems as we age is critical. The most exciting aspect of this area for me is studying what factors underlie the individual differences in aging. Older adults show a significant range of cognitive performance. If we can identify the major factors that influence successful and unsuccessful aging, depending on the nature of those factors, we may be able to use this knowledge to actively promote healthy aging in people who may otherwise show clinically significant decline.
Who were/are your mentors or scientific influences?
My postdoctoral advisor, Dr. Denise C. Park, guided me through the process of writing a successful grant proposal, which was an enormously beneficial skill to acquire prior to beginning a tenure-track faculty position. Dr. Michael Devous, at UT Southwestern Medical center, trained me in PET amyloid imaging, which has become an important component of my work. I am most influenced by my PhD mentor, Dr. Naftali Raz of Wayne State University at the Institute of Gerontology in Detroit, who thoroughly prepared me for a career in research. The excellent training in neuroimaging, cognitive aging and statistical analysis is what has allowed me to be successful in my subsequent work. I am also grateful to my undergraduate professors at Loyola University in New Orleans, who gave me a solid foundation in writing skills and critical thinking to build upon, as well as helping me find my academic career path in the psychological sciences.
What’s your future research agenda?
It is my hope to make significant contributions to the longitudinal study of brain aging, which is critical for studying true change (vs. age differences) and understanding the temporal order of the age-related decline in a variety of brain and cognitive modalities. I plan to continue working on understanding the mechanisms and modifiers of brain aging in healthy adults and investigate how those brain changes impact cognition as we grow older.
What publication are you most proud of?
Rodrigue, K. M., Rieck, J. R., Kennedy, K. M., Devous, M. D., Diaz-Arrastia, R., & Park, D.C. (2013). Risk factors for β-amyloid deposition in healthy aging: Vascular and genetic effects. Archives of Neurology.
The original article can be found @ Association for Psychological Science Observer.
To learn more about our students click here.
Kristen Kennedy, former IOG trainee
What does your research focus on?
I am most generally interested in brain-behavior relationships as we age, or the cognitive neuroscience of aging. Specifically, I study how changes to the brain’s structure with age correspond to the changes we see in cognition as we age. Interestingly, there is not a one-to-one relationship in this process because our brains are malleable to cope with the biological effects of aging, and our cognitive strategies may also re-arrange to cope with decrements to brain structure. My research focuses on how these processes are related in the course of normal aging and how we build upon our strengths as we age.
What drew you to this line of research and why is it exciting to you?
I was broadly interested in psychology in college and then while studying for a master’s in clinical neuropsychology, I realized that it was the workings of the human brain that I was most interested in pursuing as a research focus. As people are now living to be older and older, it seemed like an exciting opportunity to study how our neural and cognitive abilities could keep pace with this extended lifespan. It is very rewarding research to study the factors that influence the aging of the brain and how they, in part, determine how well we are able to age cognitively.
Who were/are your mentors or scientific influences?
I have been very fortunate to have great teachers and mentors from the very beginning of my academic training. My undergraduate psychology professors at Hendrix College (namely Drs. Chris Spatz, Ralph McKenna, and Tim Maxwell) are some of the best teachers from whom I have had the privilege of learning. Honing my critical thinking skills at a small liberal arts college had an enormous influence on my scientific development, even before I had narrowed down my research focus.
My graduate advisor at Wayne State University, Dr. Naftali Raz, was enormously influential in shaping my scientific thinking and method development. His unwavering rigor in his approach to conducting science will always be my model. He is one of those extraordinary people that just being around them imparts knowledge. I hope that my students can learn as much from me as I did from him.
Finally, it was my postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Denise Park, who helped me integrate all the parts necessary to be a successful, well-rounded scientist. She is one of those rare people who really gets the “big picture” of science, from funding to article publication. Working with her allowed me to integrate a bigger picture view into my day-to-day life, and her training in navigating the world of grant writing and funding was invaluable.
What’s your future research agenda?
I am currently funded for the next three years by a K99/R00 grant from the National Institute on Aging, to investigate the role of brain structure in explaining brain function differences we observe in the course of normal aging. Specifically, this research involves investigating the role of white matter in the reorganization of age-related brain function using structural and functional imaging techniques. Ultimately, I am interested in understanding how the brain changes with age, both adaptively, and detrimentally, and how this knowledge might be used to stave off cognitive decline. My current projects are focused on combining diffusion tensor imaging, to measure the integrity of the white matter connections in the brain, with functional MRI, to explore the neural correlates of age-related alterations in brain activity we see regularly in neuroimaging studies. An ultimate goal of these projects is to determine if these alterations are facilitative or detrimental to cognitive performance.
What publication are you most proud of?
Kennedy, K. M., Rodrigue, K. M., Devous, M. D., Sr., Hebrank, A. C., Bischof, G. N., & Park, D. C. (2012). Effects of beta-amyloid accumulation on neural function during encoding across the adult lifespan. NeuroImage, 62, 1–8.
I chose this publication because it represents the work of a large team of people; I am proud and excited to have been able to coordinate with a team of great researchers, and to integrate different neuroimaging techniques to answer an important question about how biomarkers of neural health impact our neural function across the lifespan.
The original article can be found @ Association for Psychological Science Observer.
Tell us about you personally and the work you currently do at the IOG Raphael:
This is my second year working in the Ofen Lab. As the Lab manager, I am responsible for all of the lab’s daily functions, but I am most directly involved with handling the lab’s technical needs. This includes computer programming, data analysis, and server administration for the Ofen Lab’s shiny new server.
In my free time, I play piano, bass guitar, and I make electronic music on my computer. I’m currently learning to play the drums, but I’m not very good yet. I enjoy computer programming for fun, even though I do it for work too. I usually like to make games, often music games. I also like to spin glowsticks. I practice meditation regularly.
Where did you grow up?
I was born into an orthodox Jewish community in Chicago, but my parents got divorced when I was very young. I lived mostly with my mother in the northern suburbs of Chicago, where I went to public school and had a mostly secular life.
Where did you go to school?
I went to college at Hampshire College, in Amherst, Massachusetts. It’s a small hippie school in the woods. There are no grades, no tests, and no predefined majors. You study pretty much whatever you want. I really liked Hampshire because it gave me the opportunity to be more adventurous with my education, without worrying about ruining a cumulative GPA.
What did you study?
I settled into psychology early because I just think humans are fascinating. After dabbling a bit in the psychology of language, I ultimately ‘majored’ in Affective Decision Making, which is the study of how human emotions affect the choices we make. I was particularly interested in situations involving risk and uncertainty, where a lot of important information is missing, so your emotions are really the only information available to guide you.
How did you end up in aging?
After graduating from Hampshire, I looked around everywhere I could for research assistant positions, hoping to get some more research experience before applying to graduate school. Dr. Ofen stumbled upon my CV, and she must have been impressed with my skill-set, because here I am.
What surprises you being here, at the IOG or in your lab?
One thing that really struck me while working in the Ofen Lab is the extent to which neuroscience is computationally isolated. Neuroscientists need software that is very powerful, but also very specific to our particular needs. There is no ‘Microsoft Neuroimaging’ software bundle that covers all of our software needs, and there is certainly no tech-support person who would get paid to answer my questions over the phone. Many of the programs we use were made by small teams of five or six people, possibly graduate students or post-docs. If I have any technical problems with our software, my only hope, beyond trouble-shooting the problems myself, is to look on internet message boards where questions are answered pretty much exclusively by those few developers of that specific program, because they are the only humans in the world who truly understand how it works. I am very fortunate that Wayne State University has several talented computer experts that I can talk to about my technical difficulties, but their support stops at general computer problems. Most of the technical issues we encounter in the Ofen Lab are too obscure for me to expect a general ‘tech expert’ to be able to help me.
To make matters more complicated, for any task we would need to do that is not broadly relevant to most neuroscientists, there is practically no support available at all. The Ofen Lab, like many labs, has many unique needs, due to the unique nature of our research (in theory, every lab does unique research). Working in the Ofen Lab has forced me to develop a “Do-It-Yourself” attitude, as I have had to write various programs to perform tasks that are specific to our research.
Raphael Serota
To learn more about the IOG click here.
To learn more about the Ofen Lab for Cognitive & Brain Development click here.
Keep the Blues at Bay: Overcoming the Season of Sadness
by Cheryl Deep
Temperatures are plunging, snow is falling, sidewalks are slippery, it’s dark by 5:30 p.m., and all you want to do is sleep. Northern winters, with their lack of sunshine, can trigger seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a case of the blues that can last until spring. Many Crittenton Home Care patients have asked what they can do about SAD. Fortunately, we’ve partnered with the experts in our medical offices to answer your questions.
“Older adults are especially vulnerable,” said Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, the director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. “They are more sensitive to cold temperatures and at risk for falling, so they tend to stay inside in the winter.” With limited physical activity and exposure to sunshine, SAD can strike.
According to the National Institutes of Health, SAD is likely caused by limited amounts of sunlight, lower body temperature, and hormonal changes.
Symptoms of SAD include
•Social withdrawal
•Decreased energy and concentration
•Slow movement
•Carbohydrate cravings
•Excessive sleepiness
•Decreased interest in activities
•Increased appetite.
Untreated, SAD can develop into other forms of depression.
From SAD to Happy
If you think you or a loved one may be suffering from SAD, there are several good treatment options available including light therapy, antidepressants and counseling. When used properly, light therapy has been proven to be highly effective, a specially designed fluorescent lamp gives off light similar to natural sunlight. Light therapy can help decrease the amount of melatonin in a person’s body, and help to regulate serotonin and epinephrine. Having an imbalance of these chemicals can increase the symptoms of depression.
In addition to light therapy, Dr. Lichtenberg suggests older adults set a goal to stay active throughout the winter. While outdoor activities during daytime are the best, even inside physical activity can help keep the blues at bay. “If older adults are careful and use railings, salt their walks and stairs, dress warmly, and walk with a friend, they are often able to be outside for a short period on clear winter days,” Dr. Lichtenberg said.
For inside activities, he recommends chair exercises and avoiding watching too much television. “Television is an activity that will not keep your brain active and reduces physical activity,” he said. “I’d much rather have an older adult go to the senior center, participate in a work-out, and spend social time with friends. Those are much better ways to beat the blues.” Seniors can also ask for health aides to come into the home for both companionship or to help with in-home exercise.
Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology partners with Crittenton Hospital to provide information for older adults. For more information, visit the Wayne State Family Medicine Program at Crittenton Hospital Medical Center or call 248-656-6757. To learn more about healthy aging visit Crittenton.
Since 1900, the percentage of Americans 65+ has more than tripled (from 4.1% in 1900 to 13.1% in 2010), and the number has increased almost thirteen times (from 3.1 million to 40.4 million).
More @ http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/Profile/2011/docs/2011profile.pdf
One of the responsibilities I have at the Institute of Gerontology is recruiting research participants. Pipeline has been one of the most useful tools to date. Thank goodness our WSU community is paying attention to these ads and helping us learn more about the brain by taking part! While there are a plethora of advantages to participating in research, like…being exposed to the research process, advancing science, learning about how labs work, getting to view your own grey matter, some just do it for the money.
No matter, I decided to do some research about participating in research by volunteering to participate in a research study (that’s a lot of research). Since I am between the ages of 18 and 90, right-handed, a native English speaker, and healthy (by their standards) it was decided that I was a good match. I thought it a worthy cause to know what I’m asking other people to do, so I forewent the compensation and decided to be a guinea pig. What I found were a few things I didn’t expect.
I’m an avid puzzler so I enjoyed several of the “tests,” especially for memory and problem solving. After being challenged by researchers face-to-face and via a computer I left feeling little effect of what I was doing.
A few weeks later I met one of the research assistant’s from the Aging Brain lab, Yiqin, in the lobby of University Hospital for my MRI. She escorted me through the hospital to the MRI room. I was relieved to learn I would be escorted. I’ve spent a few maddening hours wandering my way through the tunnels of the Detroit Medical Center and surfaced what seems like miles from where I entered.
While I lay in the massive magnet I couldn’t help but think, this is how problems are solved. This is how science challenges the status quo. I wouldn’t be lying here if someone else somewhere else understood exactly how the brain changes with age and how those changes relate to memory and problem solving. A unique altruistic feeling came over me while I lied motionless. This is what I would share if people asked about participating in research, not what I went through, but how I contributed. My own research about research yielded an unhypothesized conclusion, contributing to science feels good. This is often how I perceive much of the work I do at the Institute of Gerontology: a contribution to the betterment of all. Participating was a great refresher on why we do what we do at the IOG.
About an hour later, I exited the MRI room to gather my things and stopped to view images on a monitor as the supposed radiologist observed, “great news, we found one,” and pointed to images of my brain on the screen.
To confirm that you too have a brain or for more information about participating in our research please contact the Aging Brain lab @ (313) 664-2649 or visit http://agingbrain.wayne.edu/
My brain —>
Our weekly colloquium recently hosted Executive Director, Lori Fidler, from the new ITNMetroDetroit transportation network. ITNAmerica is the first and only national nonprofit that focuses on transportation for older adults (they offer services for all ages). This is the first of twenty-two ITN locations to come to the Motor City. I took comfort in learning that this type of service would be available to older adults in the Metro Detroit area. Specifically because….
A 2009 needs assessment conducted by myself and Tom Jankowski found that transportation was the greatest unmet need of older adults in the Tri-County area; surpassing general financial assistance, housing, and medical help! Five-hundred pages of transcriptions included a lot of profound statements from participants about their need for social interaction and options to travel to interact with others, “…it’s that togetherness. That’s all I want.” Another focus group participant said, “The companionship is very important a lot of times because there’s a lot of people that are lonely. They don’t have anybody and what not and it’s always good to sit down and talk to somebody. It’s always good to talk and then look…just companionship is very important.”
When older adults are forced to think about “hanging up the keys” or “driving retirement,” a lot of their independence is at risk. “Ironically, Detroit, known as the Motor City, and home to three major automobile manufacturers, is probably the largest metropolitan area in the country without a well-developed system of mass transportation” according to ITNMetroDetroit and they’re right. I know few people under the age of 60 that rely on public transportation as a means to travel from place to, let alone those that are over the age of 60 that need assistance getting on, off and to the door of their destination.
While this might not solve all our transportation issues, it’s great to know options for keeping connected are increasing. Offering transportation options is a good start to helping older adults age in place in Michigan.
A brief video introduction to Lori Fidler and ITNMetroDetroit click here.
For more about our IOG weekly colloquium visit click here.
To download our full Needs Assessment visit our Seniors Count! website.
