Lately there has been a great deal of controversy about the ethics and environmental impact of consuming shark fin, an Asian delicacy, but there may be an even better reason to stay away from it: researchers at the University of Miami have found that shark fin contains high concentrations of a neurotoxin that’s implicated in [...]

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that practicing the meditative Chinese martial art tai chi may help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms, and resistance training might also help with certain aspects of the disease. The study, conducted by scientists from the Oregon Research Institute, compared three different types of interventions in the [...]

We’ve long heard about the brain-boosting powers of things like blueberries, nuts, wine, and chocolate – but is milk the newest brain food? A new study of nearly 1,000 people suggests that it may be. The study, a collaboration between researchers from the University of Maine and the University of South Australia, found that “participants who [...]

I recently saw a research finding from 2009 that was pretty interesting. Canadian scientists studied people who self-identified as “morning people” or “night people” and found striking differences in brain activity patterns between the two groups. They noticed that neuronal excitability started high and decreased throughout the day for morning people, and started low and [...]

A new study has found that dogs learn to read the body language of humans in much the same way that human infants do. The study, conducted in Hungary, showed that dogs behaved in a way that is “functionally similar to a 6-month-old, to a 1-year-old,” according to the lead researcher. First, dogs watched a [...]

A new study published in Neurology has found that older people with higher concentrations of vitamins B, C, D, and E may have better mental functioning. The study was conducted in people who had an average age of 87, and noted that the more vitamins found in the subjects’ bloodstream, the better they performed on [...]

“Chemobrain” or “chemofog” is a condition that affects cancer survivors who have undergone chemotherapy. Dozens of studies have shown that post-chemotherapy, patients may experience a decline in cognitive performance and memory, and many doctors have long believed chemobrain to be a significant problem for cancer patients. (To learn more about chemobrain, I recommend this in-depth article.) Despite this [...]

Do long, dark winter nights get you down? For those affected with the form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the winter can be a difficult time. The National Health Service of the UK estimates that 7% of Britons are affected by SAD, and U.S. estimates hover between 4% and 6%. According to Mayo [...]

Previous studies have shown that being bilingual may delay dementia, but for the first time, a Canadian study has used brain scans to offer additional proof of bilingualism’s protective effects on the brain. Research conducted up to this point has compared older people that speak either one or two languages to gauge the age at [...]

I’ve recently noticed several studies related the effects of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution on brain function and longevity. The research shows that air pollution may harm the brain and affect cognitive processes negatively. One study looked at people over the age of 51 and found that those who lived in areas with a [...]