Category: Boost Brain Power

Greater brain activity seen in the prefrontal cortex, an area vital for the brain’s higher functions.

Making art activates the brain’s reward pathways, new research finds.

Doodling in particular boosts the blood flow through the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex (above the eyes) is the area of the brain linked to regulating our higher functions like our thoughts, feelings and actions.

The study had both artists and non-artists either doodling, free drawing or colouring between the lines.

For artists, doodling was linked to slightly higher levels of brain activity.

Dr Girija Kaimal, who led the study, said:

“This shows that there might be inherent pleasure in doing art activities independent of the end results.

Sometimes, we tend to be very critical of what we do because we have internalized, societal judgements of what is good or bad art and, therefore, who is skilled and who is not.

We might be reducing or neglecting a simple potential source of rewards perceived by the brain.

And this biological proof could potentially challenge some of our assumptions about ourselves.”

Dr Kaimal said:

“There are several implications of this study’s findings.

They indicate an inherent potential for evoking positive emotions through art-making — and doodling especially.

Doodling is something we all have experience with and might re-imagine as a democratizing, skill independent, judgment-free pleasurable activity.”

The study was published in the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy (Kaimal et al., 2017).

The video game that improves brain efficiency.

Tetris — the retro block-puzzle-game — can increase the thickness of the cortex and brain efficiency, research finds.

The study involved 26 adolescent girls playing Tetris for 30 minutes a day over a three-month period.

They were compared to a control group.

At the end, brain scans showed a thicker cerebral cortex in those who had been playing Tetris.

The cortex is the area of the brain linked to higher functions such as memory, attention and planning.

Dr Rex Jung, a neuropsychologist who co-authored the study, said:

“One of the most surprising findings of brain research in the last five years was that juggling practice increased gray matter in the motor areas of the brain.

We did our Tetris study to see if mental practice increased cortical thickness, a sign of more gray matter.

If it did, it could be an explanation for why previous studies have shown that mental practice increases brain efficiency.

More gray matter in an area could mean that the area would not need to work as hard during Tetris play.”

One mystery emerged from the study, though.

The cortex thickened in areas that were not related to increasing efficiency.

It is as if you lifted weights with your arms and your leg muscles got bigger.

Dr Richard Haier, who co-authored the study, said:

“We were excited to see cortical thickness differences between the girls that practiced Tetris and those that did not.

But, it was surprising that these changes were not where we saw more efficiency.

How a thicker cortex and increased brain efficiency are related remains a mystery.”

Bear in mind, though, that practising Tetris typically only makes you better at Tetris, and possibly other similar computer games.

Psychologists have found relatively little evidence that this sort of improvement is transferable to other tasks.

The study was published in the journal BMC Research Notes (Haier et al., 2009).

Stimulants are reportedly taken by around one-quarter of college students.

The stimulant Ritalin is linked to undesirable changes in risk-taking behaviours, sleep and weight, new research finds.

Ritalin is one common type of stimulant taken by college students as a ‘study enhancer’.

It is often prescribed to people with ADHD to help them focus.

But its off-label use as an aid to learning has risen in recent years.

It works by increasing neurotransmitter levels linked to problem-solving, reasoning and other behaviours.

Studies find that somewhere between 14% and 38% of students use stimulants to help them study.

These include Ritalin and amphetamines, such as Adderall and Dexedrine.

The drugs are also finding their way into high schools.

The 5 most common side-effects of Ritalin use are:

1. dry mouth,
2. anxiety and nervousness,
3. nausea,
4. insomnia,
5. and appetite loss.

Other side-effects include agitation and restlessness, irritability, dizziness, heart rate increase, blurred vision and seesawing emotions.

Dr Panayotis Thanos, who led the research, said:

“Although Ritalin’s effectiveness in treating ADHD is well-documented, few studies have looked at the drug’s effect on non-prescribed illicit use.

We wanted to explore the effects of this stimulant drug on the brain, behavior and development on non-ADHD subjects.”

The research looked at changes in the brains of rats who were given methylphenidate, which is the chemical name of Ritalin.

Dr Thanos explained the results:

“We saw changes in the brain chemistry in ways that are known to have an impact on the reward pathway, locomotor activity, and other behaviors, as well as effects on body weight.

These changes in brain chemistry were associated with serious concerns such as risk-taking behaviors, disruptions in the sleep/wake cycle and problematic weight loss, as well as resulting in increased activity and anti-anxiety and antidepressive effects.”

The female rats showed greater sensitivity to the drug.

Dr Thanos continued:

“Understanding more about the effects of methylphenidate is also important as people with ADHD show greater risk to be diagnosed with a drug dependency problem.

In addition, this study highlights the potential long-range risks college students take in using Ritalin for a quick study boost.”

The study was published in the Journal of Neural Transmission (Robison et al., 2017).

“I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” – G.M. Trevelyan

When your foot hits the ground, it sends a pressure wave through the body that increases blood flow to the brain.

The new finding is a surprise to researchers who thought that blood flow to the brain was relatively unaffected by blood pressure changes.

Running also causes similar backward-flowing waves through the arteries, helping to regular blood circulation through the brain.

Dr Ernest Greene, the study’s first author, said:

“What is surprising is that it took so long for us to finally measure these obvious hydraulic effects on cerebral blood flow.

There is an optimizing rhythm between brain blood flow and ambulating.

Stride rates and their foot impacts are within the range of our normal heart rates (about 120/minute) when we are briskly moving along.”

For the study, ultrasound was used to measure blood flow through the carotid artery, which carries blood to the head.

The researchers found that walking produces much lighter foot impacts than running.

However, the effect on blood flow to the brain was still significant.

The study’s authors write:

“New data now strongly suggest that brain blood flow is very dynamic and depends directly on cyclic aortic pressures that interact with retrograde pressure pulses from foot impacts.

There is a continuum of hemodynamic effects on human brain blood flow within pedaling, walking and running. Speculatively, these activities may optimize brain perfusion, function, and overall sense of wellbeing during exercise.”

The art of walking

With or without the scientific explanation, though, humans have instinctively understood the benefits of walking for thousands of years.

It is only in the last century that we have become a society of passengers, sitting bored in metal boxes and tubes, wishing we were already there.

Walking and the art of walking are being lost.

The study “Acute Effects of Walking on Human Internal Carotid Blood Flow” was presented at the APS annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2017 in Chicago.

Resistance and aerobic exercise were tested alongside tai chi and yoga.

Aerobic and resistance exercise together is the best combination for boosting brain power, new research finds.

The results come from a review of 39 studies of people over 50-years-old doing all different types of exercise and activities, including:

• aerobic and resistance training,
• tai chi,
• and yoga.

The results showed that all types of exercise improved the brain power of those over 50.

Aerobic exercise boosts cognitive abilities, while resistance training was particularly good at boosting memory and executive function.

Tai chi was also found to be beneficial for cognitive function, although this was only based on a few studies.

The results are strong enough that doctors should be encouraged to prescribe aerobic and resistance exercise for the over-50s.

The study’s authors conclude:

“The findings suggest that an exercise programme with components of both aerobic and resistance type training, of at least moderate intensity and at least 45 minutes per session, on as many days of the week as possible, is beneficial to cognitive function in adults aged over 50.”

The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Hsu et al., 2017).

Afterwards people reported greater motivation to work and more energy.

Walking up the stairs for 10 minutes beats a cup of coffee for increasing energy and motivation, new research finds.

Researchers compared the effects of 10 minutes low-to-moderate intensity exercise with a 50mg of caffeine (around a cup of coffee or can of cola) and a placebo condition.

Professor Patrick J. O’Connor, study co-author, said:

“We found, in both the caffeine and the placebo conditions, that there was not much change in how they felt.

But with exercise they did feel more energetic and vigorous.

It was a temporary feeling, felt immediately after the exercise, but with the 50 milligrams of caffeine, we didn’t get as big an effect.”

The idea was to see if going up and down the stairs is a good option to wake up office workers in the morning.

Professor O’Connor said:

“Office workers can go outside and walk, but weather can be less than ideal.

It has never rained on me while walking the stairs.

And a lot of people working in office buildings have access to stairs, so it’s an option to keep some fitness while taking a short break from work.”

The young women in the study were all suffering from chronic sleep deprivation.

This means getting less than 6.5 hours sleep a night.

None of the women exercised much or drank extreme amounts of caffeine (no more than 4 or 5 cups of coffee a day).

Despite the relatively sedate pace on the stairs, this condition beat the caffeine easily.

Afterwards, participants reported greater motivation to work and more energy.

Professor O’Connor said:

“You may not have time to go for a swim, but you might have 10 minutes to walk up and down the stairs.”

The study was published in the journal Physiology and Behavior (Randolph & O’Connor, 2017).

Neurotransmitter levels are boosted by consuming a spread popular in the UK and Australia.

Eating Marmite increases certain neurotransmitter levels, new research finds.

Marmite is a yeast-based spread popular in the UK, that many say is disgusting.

It makes use of the sludgy leftovers from the beer-making process.

Along with being popular in the UK, its Australian cousin ‘Vegemite’ is popular there too, despite an equally horrible taste.

The key seems to be that Marmite (and Vegemite) are fortified with vitamin B12.

Ms Anika Smith, the study’s first author, said:

“These results suggest that dietary choices can affect the cortical processes of excitation and inhibition – consistent with increased levels of GABA – that are vital in maintaining a healthy brain.

As the effects of Marmite consumption took around eight weeks to wear off after participants stopped the study, this suggests that dietary changes could potentially have long-term effects on brain function.

This is a really promising first example of how dietary interventions can alter cortical processes, and a great starting point for exploring whether a more refined version of this technique could have some medical or therapeutic applications in the future.

Of course, further research is needed to confirm and investigate this, but the study is an excellent basis for this.”

Dr Daniel Baker, a study co-author, said:

“The high concentration of Vitamin B12 in Marmite is likely to be the primary factor behind results showing a significant reduction in participants’ responsiveness to visual stimuli.

Since we’ve found a connection between diet and specific brain processes involving GABA, this research paves the way for further studies looking into how diet could be used as a potential route to understanding this neurotransmitter.

Although GABA is involved in various diseases we can make no therapeutic recommendations based on these results, and individuals with a medical condition should always seek treatment from their GP.”

The study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology (Smith et al., 2017).

Common drugs can give you a 5% better chance of winning at chess.

Caffeine, modafinil and Ritalin can all make you better at chess, new research finds.

The study shows that cognitive enhancers like these can boost performance even when someone is not tired.

For the study 39 male chess players were given either caffeine, modafinil, Ritalin or a placebo.

They then played time-limited games of chess against a powerful programme.

Professor Klaus Lieb, who led the study, said:

“We were surprised to see that players on the drugs played more slowly than normal, indicating that their thought processes seemed to be deeper.”

Professor Lieb continued:

“The key to this work is in understanding that players showed an improvement if under less time pressure.

The results themselves would be pretty significant in chess terms.

For example, both modafinil and methylphenidate gave an improvement coefficient of around 0.05.

If we correct for the slowest players, then the effect would be the equivalent of moving a player from say, number 5000 in the world ranking, to number 3500 in the world ranking.

In a single game, the effect is the equivalent of having the white pieces, every time, which give around a 5% better chance of winning.

These differences can be pretty significant in a competitive sport or game.

But this work also allows us to put a figure on the way that the use of these drugs can affect the way we think in a range of everyday intellectual activities, such as studying for an exam.”

Professor Trevor Robbins, a neuroscientist and former UK top 20 chess player, commenting on the study, said:

“Chess involves several higher brain processes including working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility and cognitive control.

Drugs such as modafinil have previously been found to enhance performance of such cognitive functions in laboratory based studies of non-sleep deprived volunteers, although sometimes at the cost of prolonging response times.

This work, one of the first to study drug effects on chess, shows that these performance enhancements can translate into real-world activities in this study of chess players who improved their performance, though sometimes at the cost of losing on time.”

The study was published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology (Franke et al., 2017).

Our brains get smaller with age, but this diet can help (and it can make you happier!).

Following the Mediterranean diet more closely helps people to retain brain volume, new research finds.

For the research, the brains of 967 Scottish people around 70-years-of-age were scanned.

Three years later 401 returned for a second scan.

They were also asked how closely they had followed the Mediterranean diet.

The results showed that following the Mediterranean diet was linked to a lower loss in brain volume.

Dr Michelle Luciano, the study’s first author, explained:

“As we age, the brain shrinks and we lose brain cells which can affect learning and memory.

This study adds to the body of evidence that suggests the Mediterranean diet has a positive impact on brain health.”

Unlike previous studies, though, there were no links seen for eating either fish or meat.

Other studies have suggested that higher fish consumption and lower meat consumption are better for brain health.

Dr Luciano said:

“It’s possible that other components of the Mediterranean diet are responsible for this relationship, or that it’s due to all of the components in combination.

In our study, eating habits were measured before brain volume was, which suggests that the diet may be able to provide long-term protection to the brain.

Still, larger studies are needed to confirm these results.”

The Mediterranean diet

Here are ten typical ingredients of the MedDiet:

• Green leafy vegetables,
• other vegetables,
• nuts,
• berries,
• beans,
• whole grains,
• fish,
• poultry,
• olive oil
• and wine.

The MedDiet also has relatively little red meat, little dairy and uses olive oil as the largest source of fat.


The MedDiet has also repeatedly been linked to a protective effect against depression.

The study was published in the journal Neurology (Luciano et al., 2016).

Improve memory and your brain’s ability to plan, schedule and deal with ambiguity.

As little as 40 minutes walking three times a week boosts brain connectivity and function, research finds.

The study involved “professional coach potatoes”, as one scientist described them.

The 65 individuals, who were aged between 59 and 80, did very little exercise.

None had done more than 30 minutes exercise in the last six months on more than two occasions.

All of them joined one of two groups:

• Walking at their own pace for 40 minutes three times a week.
• Stretching and toning for the same period.

The researchers used brain scans to look at how the whole brain worked together.

Professor Art Kramer, who led the study, explained the reasoning:

“Almost nothing in the brain gets done by one area — it’s more of a circuit.

These networks can become more or less connected.

In general, as we get older, they become less connected, so we were interested in the effects of fitness on connectivity of brain networks that show the most dysfunction with age.”

The researchers found that connectivity increased significantly among those who had been walking, but not in the stretching and toning group.

Cognitive tests also showed their brains were performing better.

Professor Kramer said:

“The higher the connectivity, the better the performance on some of these cognitive tasks, especially the ones we call executive control tasks — things like planning, scheduling, dealing with ambiguity, working memory and multitasking.”

With age people’s so-called default mode network becomes less coordinated with the rest of the brain.

The default mode network kicks in when we aren’t concentrating on much and our minds start to wander.

When there’s something to pay attention to, though, the default mode network is supposed to power down.

This switch tends to work less well with age and dementia, said Michelle Voss, the study’s first author:

“For example, people with Alzheimer’s disease tend to have less activity in the default mode network and they tend to have less connectivity.”

This study shows that even a relatively modest amount of exercise can help enhance the connectivity of vital brain structures.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Voss et al., 2010).

Brain image from Shutterstock