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Alvaro Fernandez's Articles in Mental Health

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AAA Now Offers Brain Training to Older Drivers - CEO Peter Kissinger Explains Why The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety just started recommending a new "brain training" program called DriveSharp, developed by Posit Science. In order to understand why, here we interview Peter Kissinger, CEO of the AAA Foundation. Mr. Kissinger says that he expects many insurance companies will start to offer "brain training" programs for free or at a deep discount to their members, especially older adults, to improve driver safety. Healthy Aging for the Brain: Understanding the Facts, not the Myths How can you take care of your brain when every week brings a new barrage of articles and studies which seem to contradict each other? Do supplements improve memory? Do you need both physical and mental exercise? Which brain training approach, if any, is worth one's time and money? Once you understand the facts of brain health and training, instead of believing the myths, you will be able to make much better decisions on how to stay sharp. Technology For Brain Health: an Upcoming Revolution in Cognitive Assessments and Training In April 2008, Baycrest, a leading research institute focused on aging and brain function, received $10-million from the Ontario Government to create a groundbreaking Centre for Brain Fitness. We have Baycrest's CEO with us today, to explore why and how the XXI century may witness a revolution in Brain Health fueled by new technology. Brain Training: It Works (to Improve Mental Skills) and It Doesn't (to reduce Brain Age) A new study shows how brain training works - and doesn't work. It depends on what you define as "it works". So, if you are considering buying some of these new programs, you do need to do a bit of homework. Here you have a 10-Question Program Evaluation Checklist to support your decision process. The Top 10 Brain Health Books of 2008: Ready for some Mental Exercise? Here you have The 10 Most Popular Brain Fitness & Cognitive Health Books of 2008, based on book purchases by SharpBrains' readers during 2008. We hope you find them as stimulating as we did - ready to exercise your brain by selecting at least one to read? Exercise Body and Brain to Maintain Lifelong Cognitive Health The American Medical News, a weekly newspaper for physicians published by the American Medical Association, just published an excellent article on the importance of Exercise - Physical and Mental. One of the physicians quoted in the article is Gary J. Kennedy, MD, Director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in NYC. We asked Dr. Kennedy a few follow-up questions. Enjoy! Combine Physical and Mental Exercise for Brain Health: Interview with Dr. Kramer Interested in maintaining a healthy, strong brain? Dr. Arthur Kramer, Director of the Biomedical Imaging Center at the University of Illinois, based on recent brain research findings, suggests we should all find ways to combine physical and mental exercise. For example, have you ever considered joining a Walking Book Club? Ready to Measure Your Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health? You know your weight. And your physical fitness. And a variety of health-related metrics. What about your brain fitness? In years to come, we can expect a growing number of assessments to help each of us address that precise question, using tools that today are only available to researchers and clinicians, raising both opportunities and concerns. This article explains the importance of this emerging trend. Exercise Your Brain in the Cognitive Age: Reflections on the Brain Games Market In the past few days, The New York Times has published two thought-provoking articles on the growing brain and cognitive fitness market. Both raise key questions that politicians, health policy makers, business leaders, educators and consumers should pay attention to. Are our brains ready to compete in the global economy? how can we improve our brain health and mental abilities? can this also helo delay Alzheimer's and other diseases? Top 21 Books on Brain Health, Fitness and Training, Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis Given the growing media coverage of brain fitness and brain training, we have produced this compilation of the Top 21 Books that help understand these trends, the research behind them, and the implications for all of us. For your easy browsing, we have categorized them into seven groups. Enjoy! Improving Brain Functioning For Healthy Aging: Interview with scientist Jerri Edwards Have you been reading all about Brain Training? Today we are fortunate to interview Dr. Jerri Edwards, an Associate Professor at University of South Florida's School of Aging Studies and Co-Investigator of the influencial ACTIVE study. Dr. Edwards' research is aimed toward discovering how cognitive abilities can be maintained and even enhanced with advancing age. Brain Training for Stress Management: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programs Stanford University's Robert Sapolsky and others have shown how chronic stress may contribute to the death of neurons in our brains. The question is how can one evaluate the many stress management programs out there? which ones are science-based? Probably the most promising area of scientific inquiry for stress management is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and in this article we summarize what MBSR is and where it comes from. Do Crossword Puzzles and Bridge Provide all the Brain Exercise You Need? This is a question we often get asked in our classes and lectures. The quick answer is No. They are both very good activities, but we need more if we want to work on our memory and brain health. Read this article to learn why.