How embarking on a fictional literary adventure shapes your brain
It's time to celebrate, bookworms! Scientists revealed some fascinating findings about the effects of reading fiction on the brain, and the results are nothing short of astounding. According to Lena Wimmer, a postdoctoral researcher at Maximilian University in Germany, venturing into the world of Read More...
Improve your daily routine: a neuroscientist's advice to strengthening key brain regions
In today's fitness-focused society, the importance of brain training is frequently overlooked. Daniel Amen, M.D., draws on over 30 years of clinical experience as a psychiatrist employing functional brain SPECT imaging to emphasize the need for frequent mental exercise in improving total brain Read More...
How a healthy sex life boosts seniors' cognitive health
Researchers discovered an intriguing link between regular sexual activity and cognitive health in senior persons in a study published recently in The Journal of Sex Research. Based on data from The University of Chicago's National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSLHA), the study intended Read More...
Spending time in greenery reduces the risk of dementia
Here at The Optimist Daily, we’ve always emphasized how important nature and greenery are for your health. With luscious vegetation comes a whole range of mental benefits such as improved cognition in children and boosted happiness. A recent study from Boston University confirms just this. The Read More...
Why we should bring nap-time back with us to the workplace
While many of us are excited to break free from the confines of pandemic restrictions, head back to the office, and finally switch our sweatpants out for a pair of trousers we actually want to be seen in, we have to acknowledge that there are certainly some perks to working from home—namely, Read More...
Study: Boosting happiness slows down cognitive decline
A new longitudinal study investigating whether a person’s level of happiness affects their cognitive health as they age strongly suggests that the happier you are, the less likely you are of developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. While there have been previous studies that link Read More...
Another reason to get swimming this summer: It’s good for our brains!
It’s summertime and the weather is hot (in the Northern hemisphere at least), which means you’re probably itching to cool off in some water. In addition to saving you from the summer heat, it turns out that swimming actually has cognitive benefits as well. Let’s dive deeper into its brain Read More...
Isolation can cause cognitive decline, but socialization can be a cure
"It's something I'm seeing clinically. Some people were okay before the pandemic and now they're having faster cognitive decline," says Dr. Joel Salinas, a behavioral neurologist and faculty member of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. If you feel like you’re forgetting Read More...