Marbles: The Brain Store Blog » Alzheimer’s

Put Some Spring In Your Brain

Paulette Hicks — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:16:34 +0000

During the spring months, Marbles the Brain Store puts a spotlight on products from our Coordination section that you play with outside. Our buying department has scoured through hundreds of products to find unique and engaging items that incorporate physical activity. You may look at the products and automatically assume that they are just for kids, but we’d like to challenge that assumption.

You probably know that physical activity is good for your heart, but did you know that it is extremely beneficial to your brain as well? Research has shown that exercise increases the diameter of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, allowing greater delivery of oxygen to your neurons. It can also stimulate the growth of connections between those neurons (known as synapses). These connectors can strengthen many areas of our brain. Ultimately, areas of the brain governing reasoning, judgment and memory are actually increased in volume. Recent studies have even shown that physical activity can decrease your risk of dementia, including symptoms from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Here are some of our recommendations to get you and your family outside and moving:

Many of our employees and customers have loved playing with Ogosport. If you need a new challenge, try Djubi. Djubi is a cross between lacrosse and a slingshot. The set comes with two balls with elastic bands that hook on the end of the racquet net. Once it’s launched your opponent has to try to catch it in their net. This activity is great at strengthening focus and hand-eye coordination.

Practice the ancient performance art of Poi with Kiwido. Grasping the string or connected ball, manipulate the ribbons into arcs and patterns by swinging your arms in various motions. This art was developed by the indigenous people of New Zealand to keep the women’s hands flexible for weaving and the men’s hands and arms strong for battle. This easy-to-learn swinging toy enhances coordination, flexibility and concentration and can also help with balance. If you can develop your skill enough to use them with both hands, you can actually work both sides of your brain. The set includes a CD of basic techniques to help you build your skills.

These are all fun outdoor activities, but they also have one other thing in common. At various points they require your arms to be at or above heart level. This raises your heart rate and moves blood from the top of the head all the way to the tip of your toes. This relaxes the lining of the arteries which improves heart and brain health. And learning new strategies and movement patterns can increase your gray matter. So grab a game, go outside and have fun!

Games for 50+

Marbles Blog — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:36:19 +0000

Many people come into Marbles asking for ways to stay sharp, generally either for themselves or for aging parents. Marbles is uniquely prepared to tackle this issue since we have products that have been scientifically proven to improve skills such as visual and/or auditory processing and memory. I mean, one of Marbles’ mottos is even “outsmart your age!” Studies have shown that one of the ways to hold off cognitive decline is to continue to challenge and exercise your brain. These suggestions below promote continual learning through brain training.

I am thrilled when people are willing to give the brain fitness software a try. It truly makes a difference and is fun!

NeuroActive Complete

Brain Fitness Program
Insight
MindFit
NeuroActive Complete
NeuroActive Memory & Multi-tasking
NeuroActive Learning
Art Dealer

I also understand if you would rather stick to something more hands-on, and so I have some suggestions for that area as well.

Set

Brain Games
Genius Deck Number Puzzles
Izzi
Memo: Art
Keep Your Brain Alive
Jumbo Sudoku
Gift Book of KenKen
Set
Crosswords to Boost Brainpower

There are more possibilities as well! Come chat with us and we will find the perfect fit for you.

Alzheimer’s Awareness: Why Bother?

Marbles Blog — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:12:02 +0000

When we opened our first Marbles stores we were looking for support and came across a company that was in the Alzheimer’s Awareness field, McCare. We decided to work together from the beginning and they are the backbone of our very own Brain Health Barometer which is a risk assessment tool for those concerned with developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. I read this post and thought it was definitely worth sharing:

As we enter into National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, you may wonder why we should bother promoting awareness. Those who have been touched by Alzheimer’s are already aware and those who have not been touched can’t really help — so what’s the point? After all, doesn’t it make more sense to skip the awareness effort and just focus all resources on a cure?

As it turns out, lack of awareness and education are major contributors to the burgeoning Alzheimer’s problem. And while the benefits of awareness may not be obvious, they are very real.

For example, do you know what you can do today to reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s later in life? If not, your lack of awareness is fueling the ongoing problem. Do you know how we can immediately improve the efficacy of those drugs currently approved for Alzheimer’s? Sadly, most patients and many physicians do not. How clear is your grasp of the relationship between a healthy heart and a healthy brain? For many of us, investing a few minutes to improve our understanding of that relationship could yield long-lasting health benefits.

The answers to these questions along with four other important perspectives are summarized in a short article on the Brain Today blog (link)*. The full article can be read in about five minutes and, with a couple of additional clicks, can be forwarded to your online networks.

In the spirit of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, please visit the Brain Today blog and read the article and then encourage your social networks to do the same. In this way, you will become a part of the solution, doing your part to thwart Alzheimer’s through the simple act of awareness.

Dennis Fortier is President of Medical Care Corporation and Editor of the Brain Today blog . Brain Today is a non-commercial publication devoted to interpreting the daily news about brain health and distilling the true value of that news.

Music and the brain

Marbles Blog — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:04:19 +0000

Although those who know me well understand that music isn’t my strong suit (you don’t ever want to hear me doing karoke) I frequently come across interesting articles on how music can benefit our minds and bodies in many different ways.

Recently, a column by Kimberly Garrison of the Philadelphia Daily News had me thinking about it again. Garrison writes that, “A strong musical beat stimulates the brain and increases mental alertness. At the same time, a slow beat has a calming and meditative effect.” The Alzheimer’s Project reminded me how interconnected all aspects of our health are. Why not multi-task for your brain and listen to music while playing a game to exercise your mind?

What songs do you think are best for the brain? I would suggest some classics: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach . . . this list goes on (and you can find a list and hear some of the music on Digital Dream Door).

What would you recommend for music to stimulate the brain?

Researching the positive effects of music on the brain, I also found a Time article from 2005 on the potential for music therapy to benefit Alzheimer’s patients. While the importance of medications and science cannot be overlooked, music is a calming, familiar influence and potential underutilized resource in care. For more on the healing effects of music, Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks is a terrific resource.
Musicophila by Oliver Sacks

Speaking of activating all the senses, thank you to Jonathan Winkelman for sending the terrific NPR piece on training the brain: To Keep Your Brain Nimble as You Age, Stretch It. The section on sensory memory and the importance of things like smell to the brain was especially interesting. Please keep sending and posting articles you want to share with all Marbles fans.

Reactions to Day 3 of HBO’s “The Alzheimer’s Project”

Marbles Blog — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:11:22 +0000

I caught the 3rd and final day of The Alzheimer’s Project last night. If you weren’t able to catch it live, here are the links (Caregivers and Momentum in Science Part 2). The Caregivers documentary was especially touching and each person/family profiled should be commended for how well they handled such extreme stress and heartache. I think everyone who watches it can appreciate their commitment to love and friendship.

The Momentum in Science Part 2 was informative but left me wanting more. They touched on building cognitive reserve but didn’t go into much detail unfortunately. I thought it was interesting that they were willing to talk about nutrition, physical exercise, and even unproven pharmaceutical cures but unwilling to talk much at all about cognitive exercise and how exciting it is that products like Posit Science’s The Brain Fitness Program have shown positive results in clinical trials. There is a lot of research (read more in our research section) showing the effects of cognitive stimulation, yet very little was discussed in the series. I think it is a mistake for “The Alzheimer’s Project” and its sponsors to ignore the research out there about this subject.

What do you think?

~Lindsay

Reactions to day 2 of HBO’s “The Alzheimer’s Project”

Marbles Blog — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:56:14 +0000

Day 2, yesterday, featured two more pieces of “The Alzheimer’s Project” (Grandpa, do you know who I am? and Momentum in Science), which you can watch online if you missed it or don’t get HBO. The first one was especially meant for those who have been directly effected by the disease with some lessons learned from others in a similiar situation. I liked the stories but I did feel like they were packing the punches (or tears in this case) in a little too much, but it could have been because I was still drained from the night before.

I really enjoyed the Momentum in Science piece. I was excited about hearing how well scientists are beginning to understand the brain. As one of the researchers states, “From the days of Shakespeare and before, senility has been well-described; it’s throughout history. And for the first time, most of us feel like we have a good chance of changing that course.” I was really interested to hear about vascular disease, cholesterol, inflammation and general health all seem to play a part. We often hear that genetics are the key to this, but I think it is hopeful to hear that there are many things that you can do to effect your chances. It does point to an increased need for prevention for those people with heightened risk factors. I suggest taking our complimentary Brain Health Barometer to find out your unique risk factors for Alzheimer’s.

Tonight they will be talking about mental stimulation and its effects on creating a “cognitive reserve” which is exactly what we are trying to offer with our Marbles assortment. More on that tomorrow…

~Lindsay

What did you think of HBO’s “The Alzheimer’s Project”?

Marbles Blog — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:27:33 +0000

First off, I hope all the Marbles-loving moms out there had a fantastic Mother’s Day!

Last night I watched the first of four documentaries in “The Alzheimer’s Project” on HBO, which we mentioned in our May newsletter. The series focuses on research and discoveries made to further the study of Alzheimer’s disease. HBO promises that, “while there is no cure for the disease, ‘The Alzheimer’s Project’ shows there is now genuine reason to be optimistic about the future.” The show’s web site states that 54% of the population has been touched by Alzheimer’s, and the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s is expected to grow from 5 million to 11 million by 2040 as the Baby Boomers age. Thus it is a particularly pertinent time to focus on Alzheimer’s and the search for a cure.

Last night’s “The Memory Loss Tapes,” told the stories of seven individuals in different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The directors did an excellent job but I have to admit it was very difficult to watch individuals further along in the disease progression and to see their frustrations and the challenges faced by caregivers. At the same time, I was inspired by the determination to remain independent, such as Bessie who states, “I never feel like I’m giving up” and the beautifully captured moments of simply enjoying a good hair wash.

For a further look into one of the heartfelt documented lives, you can follow Joseph’s blog, Living with Alzhiemer’s (please note the “i” and “e” are reversed).

The New York Times article, “HBO Puts Alzheimer’s Under the Microscope” provides a look into the making of “The Alzheimer’s Project.” For another opinion of the series, I recommend Alessandra Stanley’s review. As Ms. Stanley points out, this series makes it impossible not to worry about Alzheimer’s disease and your own risk. If you are concerned about preventing Alzheimer’s and are ready to do something about it, I recommend a proactive approach with products from our brain software section like The Brain Fitness Program from Posit Science.
Posit Brain Fitness Program
The Brain Fitness Program has been tested in double blind clinical trials and is able to make the claim of 10 years of memory improvement from accelerating one’s auditory processing which naturally declines as you age. Recent studies also have shown promise for patients with pre-dementia condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s. We also have many more options at Marbles, so please contact us and we can help you find something right for you and/or your loved ones.

I would love to hear what you thought of last night’s show, especially any favorite moments.

~Lindsay

Are there times when you wish your memory weren’t so good?

Marbles Blog — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:57:13 +0000

While we here at Marbles are constantly trying to find ways to help you improve your memory, there are some things you would rather forget. For those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the situation is much more severe. That is why scientists have sought to erase memories, in addition to enhancing them. Recently, researchers at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center identified a substance in the brain that, if blocked, allowed them to “erase” learned information. Thus the drugs being developed to affect this substance have both great promise and potentially terrible consequences, such as accidentally erasing other memories or creating additional false memories. While the drugs have only been tested in animals thus far, ethical questions are already being raised over potential abuses.

For further reading, the following New York Times article provides insight into these new drugs and a look at the evolution of the study of the brain leading to increased attention on the mind today (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/health/research/06brain.html). Wired’s blog also provides a great look into the debate via an interview with neuroscientist Anders Sandberg (http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/memoryedit.html).

At the same time, if this substance is enhanced, it could help ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s. This research is also a part of strides being made towards understanding the many, complicated connections involved in memory. For example, research into how the brain remembers single events has indicated that one experience has the potential to create a memory as vivid as those of repeated activities (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318140526.htm).

For a lighter look at the subject, Marbles recommends the following Top 5 Memorable Movies about Memory:
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Memento
3. Away From Her
4. The Bourne Identity
5. The Notebook

(Don’t agree with these selections? Let us know what you would recommend!)

Another interesting look at memory comes from: Can’t Remember What I Forgot: The Good News From the Front Lines of Memory Research. Author Sue Halpern discusses the science behind memory and evaluates strategies for warding off Alzheimer’s and dementia.

~Lindsay