Science Probes 'Senior Moments'

About 25% of seniors have had them

(NEWSER) - "Silent strokes" may be taking a toll on seniors' memory. A new study shows that seniors who have suffered such strokes—they don't have obvious symptoms but leave behind dead brain cells—do worse on memory tests, reports USA Today . It's no small thing: An estimated 1 in 4 seniors have had the strokes. More»

(NEWSER) - Shelling goblins and building medieval empires may be perfect ways to stave off cognitive decline, Anita Hamilton writes in Time. Research already shows that challenging tasks can keep brains sharp in old age, but now multi-million-dollar studies are getting the elderly to play video games—not puzzle or math games, but shoot-'em-ups like Wii's Boom Blox. "Part of it is making it fun so it does not feel like work," says one researcher. More»

Many adults deficient in crucial nutrient

(NEWSER) - Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause memory loss, particularly in the elderly, reports the BBC. People short on the nutrient were 6 times more likely than individuals with normal levels to experience brain shrinkage, which is strongly linked to dementia, a new study shows. Forty percent of people are believed to have deficient levels of B12, which is found in meat, fish, and milk —and that percentage is even higher among the elderly. More»

He's having tests to find fainting cause: daughter

(NEWSER) - George McGovern has been hospitalized in Florida for tests, his daughter said yesterday. The former South Dakota senator and one-time presidential candidate was admitted to a St. Augustine hospital so doctors can determine why he occasionally passes out and loses his ability to speak, reports the Sioux Falls Argus Leader . "He's comfortable. The tests are continuing to see if they can determine what's causing this," said daughter Ann McGovern. McGovern, 89, splits his time between Florida and South Dakota. He was treated for exhaustion last October after a lecture tour, and fell and struck his head two months later just as he was about to be interviewed on a C-SPAN program about presidential candidates, notes AP . More»

iPod therapy stimulates cognitive functions lost to disease

(NEWSER) - Therapists and doctors who treat Alzheimer's are now using music not only to soothe and entertain their patients but to restore some cognitive function. For decades it's been recognized that Alzheimer's patients can still remember and sing songs long after they've stopped recognizing names and faces. Now it's thought that those tunes can provide a pathway back to memories otherwise lost. One claims intensive music therapy can lead to an increase of 50% on cognitive-function tests. More»