PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

The research is in: Physical activity enhances cognition

The research is in: Physical activity enhances cognition
2013-02-17
(Press-News.org) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Exercise doesn't only strengthen your heart and muscles – it also beefs up your brain. Dozens of studies now show that aerobic exercise can increase the size of critical brain structures and improve cognition in children and older adults.

University of Illinois psychology professor Art Kramer, a nationally recognized expert on the role of physical fitness on cognition, will discuss these brain-changing outcomes at a session of the 2013 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston on Feb. 16. Kramer is the director of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.

"Populations throughout the industrialized world are becoming increasing sedentary as a result of the changing nature of work and leisure activities," Kramer said. "As a result of these societal changes, increases in diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers are increasing. Physical activity serves to reduce susceptibility to these diseases."

"Increased physical activity also has direct, and relatively rapid effects on cognition and brain health," he said. "Such results have now been reported, over the course of several decades, in animal studies of physical activity."

Studies in humans, many conducted in Kramer's lab, also show that regular exercise, such as walking three times per week, also increases brain power.

Kramer will present research from his own lab and others that demonstrates that older adults who participate in fitness training and physical activity benefit from significant improvements in their brain structure and function. He will detail how scientists use both behavioral measures and non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, event-related brain potential, and event-related optical signals to assess cognition. He will conclude his presentation with a dissection of the gaps present in human and animal cognitive and brain health literature and describe how future research can remedy this.

INFORMATION:

Kramer's presentation, "Physical Fitness Effects on Brain and Cognition," is to begin at 1 p.m. in Room 304 of the Hynes Convention Center.

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
The research is in: Physical activity enhances cognition

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Going negative: Stanford scientists explore new technologies that remove atmospheric CO2

2013-02-17
In his Feb. 12 State of the Union address, President Obama singled out climate change as a top priority for his second administration. "We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence," he said. "Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it's too late." Four years ago, the president addressed rising global temperatures by pledging a 17 percent cut in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions ...

Evolution helped turn hairless skin into a canvas for self-expression

2013-02-17
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Hairless skin first evolved in humans as a way to keep cool -- and then turned into a canvas to help them look cool, according to a Penn State anthropologist. About 1.5 to 2 million years ago, early humans, who were regularly on the move as hunters and scavengers, evolved into nearly hairless creatures to more efficiently sweat away excess body heat, said Nina Jablonski, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology. Later, humans began to decorate skin to increase attractiveness to the opposite sex and to express, among other things, group identity. "We ...

Malawi's bountiful harvests and healthier children

Malawis bountiful harvests and healthier children
2013-02-17
BOSTON — Through research led by Michigan State University, crop yields have increased dramatically. The children of Ekwendi, Malawi, also have gained weight and are taller. These improvements bring smiles to Sieglinde Snapp, MSU ecologist, and other researchers who have worked in Malawi for many years. Snapp, a crop and soil scientist at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station, shared the secrets of the initiative's success at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Feb. 14-18 in Boston. One of the focal points of her research has been ...

Preparing for climate change-induced weather disasters

2013-02-17
The news sounds grim: mounting scientific evidence indicates climate change will lead to more frequent and intense extreme weather that affects larger areas and lasts longer. However, we can reduce the risk of weather-related disasters with a variety of measures, according to Stanford Woods Institute Senior Fellow Chris Field. Field will discuss how to prepare for and adapt to a new climate at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Boston. Field's talk, "Weather Extremes: Coping With the Changing Risks," will be part of a symposium ...

Canine Colors Announces New Exhibit at Wisdom 2.0 Conference

2013-02-17
Canine Colors, a subsidiary of True Colors International, features a unique new exhibit at the 4th annual Wisdom 2.0 conference on Feb. 21 through Feb. 24th at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco, Calif. where thought leaders from business and technology come together to share their insight on how to connect with our non-digital selves and using technology in ways enhance our well-being, making us effective and useful to the world. "This is a great corporate tool for employee engagement and team building. We want our employees to bring their whole self ...

Over $6,000 for Leukemia Society Raised by Stanbridge College Nursing Student

2013-02-17
Stanbridge College, a technical college that offers Masters, Bachelor and Associate of Science degrees and diploma programs in Allied Health and Information Technology, nursing student, Vanessa Gonzalez-Arroyo raised over $6,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The full-time nursing student, worked with in Team in Training, a non-profit organization that trains runners, walkers, triathletes, cyclists and hikers to support cancer research, to participate in two events: a marathon in San Diego and a hike in Yosemite where she raised $2,743 with over 40 donations and ...

Anita Bradfield Has Brain Swelling, Achieved an Associate Degree, GoFundMe Can Help Anita

2013-02-17
Anita Bradfield is a determined single lady, with no car, no savings account, who has found herself in an unusual and difficult situation in life. She is struggling with brain swelling for several years, no health insurance, and in a job economy that makes staying employed longer than a year very difficult. Yes, with brain swelling Anita gets up and goes to work, when work is available. Her attendance at work is as good as her peers, who are healthy. That accomplishment is amazing to pull off, if you live with brain swelling. How do you get up and go to work every day like ...

EcoPlum Hearts E-Gift Cards as Eco Friendly Gifts

2013-02-17
Today EcoPlum, the green shopping rewards boutique, announces an e-gift cards program, the latest enhancement to its online shopping experience. The gift cards, sent electronically, are an environmentally friendly way to give eco friendly gifts and may be used to buy eco friendly products in the EcoPlum Online Boutique. Gia Machlin, CEO and Founder of EcoPlum, exclaims, "Holidays are great, but many of us are too busy to come up with the perfect eco friendly gifts for our loved ones on their birthdays, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day or any other occasion. Our new ...

My Little Salesman to Attend Oregon Logging Conference February 21 - 23

2013-02-17
My Little Salesman will exhibit and attend the Oregon Logging Conference February 21 - 23 at the Lane Convention Center in Eugene, OR. As the largest indoor/outdoor forestry show west of the Mississippi, the Oregon Logging Conference provides professional development opportunities for forestry professionals through seminars, competitions, and an exhibit hall featuring dealers and manufacturers from around the world. 2013 marks the 75th Oregon Logging Conference. My Little Salesman invites all Oregon Logging Conference attendees to booth #146 for demonstrations on new ...

GiftWorksPlus Features New Blog Series to Improve Picture-Taking Skills

2013-02-17
GiftWorksPlus, an American business specializing in personalized picture frames, is focusing not only on creating unique frames, but also the pictures that fill them. A new blog series at GiftWorksPlus.com will feature helpful tips for capturing quality photographs. The GiftWorksPlus blog series is timed to align with those who are planning winter getaways or upcoming summer vacations. Tips will include a wide variety of topics from remembering to pack extra memory cards to considering the rule of thirds and choosing the right personalized picture frames to compliment ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] The research is in: Physical activity enhances cognition