Mutacion genetica en chicos hiperactivos?

Seguramente polémico:

Detectan una mutación genética en la mayoría de los niños hiperactivos
Los niños hiperactivos, que representan más del 4% de la población infantil,
sufren una impulsividad excesiva que podría estar producida por una mutación
genética, según una investigación de la Universidad de Harvard. Esta mutación
genética, detectada en la mayoría de los niños afectados por esta enfermedad,
influye en la expresión del gen transportador de norepinefrina, uno de los
principales “mensajeros” químicos del cerebro, provocando hiperactividad y
déficit de atención. Los resultados sugieren que esta mutación genética
aumenta la probabilidad de tener esta enfermedad, pero serán necesarias nuevas
investigaciones para extraer conclusiones definitivas al respecto.
22/12/2006
tendencias21.net

El cerebro aprende mientras dormimos

Una vez más encontramos un artículo que muestra la importancia de dormir bien, sobre todo si queremos manetner bien la mente y la memoria (además de no engordar como se ha mostrado recientemente y de no alterar la resistencia a la insulina):

El cerebro aprende mientras dormimos
Un grupo de investigadores del Insituto alemán Max Planck, entre los que se
encuentra el premio Nobel Bert Sakmann, han podido demostrar en vivo el
funcionamiento sincronizado de dos áreas del cerebro relacionadas con el
registro y almacenamiento de recuerdos durante el sueño. Gracias a un sistema
experimental, han podido registrar el comportamiento neuronal del llamado
hipocampo y de la corteza cerebral, que parece ir “a juego” en los cerebros de
ratones anestesiados, lo que vierte algo de luz sobre un proceso que hasta la
fecha ha permanecido sin explicar: cómo generamos y guardamos en nuestro
cerebro los recuerdos y cómo pasan de ser recogidos como recuerdos a
corto-plazo a quedar grabados en la memoria como recuerdos a largo-plazo.
22/12/2006
tendencias21.net

Fumar afecta el metabolismo cerebrall

Por si quedan dudas que fumar es malo para la salud. El lado bueno: dejar de fumar eprmite restablecer la química cerebral:

Fumar afecta (también) al metabolismo cerebral
El tabaquismo crónico afecta a las células nerviosas y altera la composición
química del cerebro, según el primer estudio realizado con la técnica de
espectroscopia de protones por resonancia magnética (MRS) con el fin de
vincular la adicción a la nicotina con la neuroquímica. Asimismo, dejar de
fumar restablece el orden natural de la sustancias químicas que permiten un
funcionamiento normalizado de nuestro cerebro, revela la misma investigación.
Cuarenta y tres fumadores que lo habían dejado demostraron que el proceso de
deterioro puede invertirse, y que el daño tiene solución.
15/12/2006
tendencias21.net

Videos de cientificos famosos en beyondbelief2006.org

Discusiones sobre la ciencia y religión. Hay neurocientíficos.

beyondbelief2006.org/Watch/

Sunday, November 5, 2006
Session 1 (watch)       Steven Weinberg, Lawrence Krauss, Sam Harris, Michael Shermer
Session 2 (watch)       Neil deGrasse Tyson; Discussion: Tyson, Weinberg, Krauss, Harris, Shermer
Session 3 (watch)       Joan Roughgarden, Richard Dawkins, Francisco Ayala, Carolyn Porco
Session 4 (watch)       Stuart Hameroff, V.S. Ramachandran

Monday, November 6, 2006
Session 5 (watch)       Paul Davies, Steven Nadler, Patricia Churchland
Session 6 (watch)       Susan Neiman, Loyal Rue, Elizabeth Loftus
Session 7 (watch)       Mahzarin Banaji, Richard Dawkins, Scott Atran
Session 8 (watch)       Scott Atran, Sir Harold Kroto, Charles Harper, Ann Druyan

Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Session 9 (watch)       Sam Harris, Jim Woodward, Melvin Konner; Discussion: Harris, Woodward, Konner, Dawkins, Paul Churchland
Session 10 (watch)      Richard Sloan, V.S. Ramachandran, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Terry Sejnowski

Mejorar la absorcion de la curcumina

En este artículo se recomienda consumir la curcumina (el principio activo de la cúrcuma) junto con aluna grasa como aceite de pescado o un emulsificante como la lecitina dado que sino no se absorbe bien.


If your physician agrees with the addition of curcumin and DHA along with the main treatment program, we think that Alzheimer’ patients might want to try the combination of curcumin and dha (should be taken together, because curcumin is not absorbed well unless it is dissolved).  Lecithin appears to improve absorption because it is an emusifier.

Curcumin can be obtained on the web and is fairly inexpensive.. Brands such as Jarrow or Life extension may be okay. For example you can purchase the Jarrow Brand Curcumin95 from Nutrition Dome

or purchase the Sabinsa manufactured curcumin with a pepper compound from Life Extension

For prevention DHA from fish oil or salmon oil (which has slightly higher DHA than EPA and may be superior) could be sufficient.

If however, the disease has initiated, there is membrane loss, and it may be necessary to take purer DHA eg from algae, which can be purchased from Martek dhadepot.com (neuromins200) , and is unfortunately fairly expensive (up to $600 per year)..

DOSES: Although clinical trials are needed, safe doses and extrapolation from animal studies would suggest that.....

if AD is diagnosed.. 600 mg minimum of DHA with 2000 mg curcumin, plus 1 capsule of lecithin.

For AD prevention.. 400 mg DHA (or 2000 mg fish oil, which has only 360 mg DHA) and 1000 mg curcumin (together).

Fighting Alzheimer's

La bioperina es criticada por algunos porque inhibe enzimas de desintoxicación.

La falta de oxigeno desencadenaria el Alzheimer

Song’s team found that oxygen deprivation triggers a greater activation of the BACE1 gene. More beta-amyloid means more plaques and, in turn, more neuron death. So getting enough oxygen to the brain may help stave off Alzheimer’s in people with known risk factors, says Song.

Drugs called vasodilators, which enlarge the blood vessels, may help to increase the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, Song suggests.

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0606298103)

Newscientist

Me pregunto si el ejercicio aeróbico (algo que hacen bastante poco los ancianos) no sería también un buen preventivo de esa falta de oxigenación cerebral.

Hablando de drogas, uno de los oxigenadores cerebrales mejor tolerados y no muy caros es la vinpocetina (por ejemplo Kantor de Bagó en Argentina).

Memoria, estres post-traumatico y propranolol

The Memory Pill

If you experienced a painful or traumatic event, would you want a pill which could lessen the bad memories of what happened? That option might soon be here because of a drug called propranolol.
Videos en 60minutes.yahoo.com


1. Making Memories
See a study showing how memories are made
 
2. The Drug
Experimenting with propranolol
 
3. The Study
Could propranolol help treat PTSD?
 
4.Mind Control?
Are there wrong reasons to use the drug?

Contenido de cafe�na en el mate

Me pasan esta información que es interesante para los que tomamos mate. Los valores de cafeína son más bajos de lo que pensaba y de lo que se indica en páginas en internet.

* La infusión preparada con una cucharadita de Mate Cocido Instantáneo Taragüi aporta aproximadamente
0,002 grs. de cafeína.

* Yerba Mate en cebadura Taragüi: - 50 g en 500 ml -: entre 180 y 220 mg. aproximadamente
(esto teniendo en cuenta el porcentaje de palo, que no contiene cafeína, y
el porcentaje de extractabilidad desde la infusión (aprox. 65%)).

* Mate Cocido Unión: - 3 g en 200 ml -: 27 mg. aproximadamente (teniendo en
cuenta un 100% de extractabilidad).

Relacion entre fumar y deficit de atencion

Los déficits de atención podrian ser motivantes del hábito de fumar y deberísn ser tenidos en cuenta al ahora de realizar tratamientos para dejar de fumar.

Columbia Study Examines ADHD’s Role in Smoking

New York ­ Are you easily forgetful, distracted, impulsive or fidgety? Do you find that smoking helps you alleviate these symptoms?

Columbia University Medical Center researchers are investigating whether these most common symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) could be causing people to smoke. If that is the case, will treatment for ADHD combined with the standard treatment to help people quit smoking ­ the patch with counseling ­ increase the quit rates for smokers trying to quit?

Covey and her colleagues are recruiting smokers who have been diagnosed with ADHD or who may have symptoms of ADHD but have not yet been diagnosed, to be part of a study that will help them quit smoking. Approximately 7-8 million adults in the U.S. have ADHD. Smoking is twice as common in this population as in the general population.

Research has shown that most smoking in the U.S. occurs among people who have psychiatric conditions, such as alcohol or drug abuse, major depression, anxiety and ADHD. One line of research has shown that smokers with these conditions “self-medicate” their symptoms with nicotine, the primary addictive substance in tobacco.

Participants in the study will receive the nicotine patch, behavioral counseling, and a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ADHD called methylphenidate (brand name CONCERTA®). Because methylphenidate and nicotine act on the brain in a similar way, the premise is that treatment with methylphenidate when trying to quit smoking may reduce symptoms of ADHD while also reducing tobacco withdrawal symptoms.

Libro The Brain Manual

Hay capítulos de muestra en PDF


The Brain Manual

- The step-by-step guide for men to achieving and maintaining mental well-being.

by Dr Ian Banks

£14.99
 
 

Break a leg, burn your hand or cut your finger and the injury is obvious. They're the equivalent of a flat tyre - an easily observed fault. Problems under the bonnet are trickier to deal with. So it is with the human body - the workings inside the head are often beyond comprehension.

Fortunately, you don't have to be a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist to undertake simple maintenance of your mental faculties. But you do need a manual to follow - the new Brain Manual from Haynes.

Written by Dr Ian Banks, author of the NHS Direct Health Care Guide, a frequent broadcaster, President of the European Men's Health Forum and a practising casualty doctor, the Brain Manual emphasises positive steps to improved mental well-being.

There are tips for healthy eating and an explanation of the biophilia effect (why getting close to nature makes us feel better). Relationships and stress are covered as is the effect of ageing on the brain. Brain malfunctions and disorders are explained - with information about how to avoid them or how to cope with their effects.

Functional problems, such as the effects of a stroke, are also included. And there's a useful guide to the likely effects of alcohol and other recreational drugs.

Of course, many people prefer to ignore what is happening ?under the bonnet' but they are dismissing a serious problem. Nearly 13 million working days were lost to stress-related illness in 2004. Some of the causes of stress are not obvious - deaths from heart attack or stroke increase significantly on the day of a big football match for instance.

Some of the many "fact or fiction?" questions answered in :

All brains start life as girl brains.
True! The default brain in the developing foetus is female.

People can hear colour.
Strange as this may sound, it is fact. Approximately 1 in 25,000 people have this condition called synaesthesia - meaning joined sensation.

Humans only use 10% of their brains.
This is a popular myth but false.

Los examenes mejoran la memoria

A pesar de ser insufribles ahora parece que haypruebas 2científicas" de que los exámenes son "buenos". Eso si no te matan de ansiedad...

Testing Boosts Memory

By Jennifer Cutraro

Students who break into a cold sweat at the thought of a pop quiz might feel better once they learn about a side effect of test-taking: The practice appears to enhance memory, possibly even more than studying. What's more, according to a new study, testing also helps students remember material that wasn't on the exam in the first place.

Over the past several years, cognitive scientists have documented a phenomenon called the "testing effect," in which taking a test, rather than studying, boosts an individual's ability to remember the material later on. The research led psychology doctoral student Jason Chan and his colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, to wonder whether testing also affects memory for untested materials.

To test the theory, the team had 84 undergraduate students read a passage about toucans, a topic the researchers believed would be unfamiliar to psychology undergraduates. After reading the passage, one-third of the students were dismissed, one-third were asked to read an additional set of study materials that covered the same information as the original passage, and one-third were asked to take a brief short-answer test on the original material. The next day, all participants returned to take a final short-answer test, which included questions from the previous day's brief test as well as new questions.

Efecto del estres cronico sobre la atencion

Chronic stress affects attention by altering neuronal growth in the brain (ver completo)

Anxiety and depression can make a person feel as if he’s battling his own brain, complete with wounds and scars. Traumatic events ­ war, divorce, the death of a loved one ­ can trigger these disorders, and scientists are just beginning to clarify the biological connection. Now, working neuron by neuron, researchers have found that life experiences actually appear to change the length and complexity of individual brain cells. In a recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, Rockefeller University scientists show that chronic daily stress affected neurons in two different areas of the rat brain, showing for the first time a link between anxiety symptoms and the dynamic anatomy of the brain.

One of the characteristic manifestations of prolonged stress is decreased performance in tasks that require attention, including the ability to shift focus as well as to learn and unlearn information. Bruce McEwen, Rockefeller’s Alfred E. Mirsky Professor and head of the Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, was interested in finding out how this translates to changes in the brain itself. So he and Conor Liston, a graduate student in McEwen’s lab, compared neuronal change in stressed and unstressed rats.

The researchers stressed out a dozen rats by keeping them in painless restraints for six hours a day. Then, after 21 days, they used a complex progression of trials to test how quickly the rats learned to make associations between different cues and the location of hidden food. First, Liston provided two different materials for the rats to dig in, such as sand and sawdust, and buried food consistently under only one. Next, he left the food in the same material but scented it with strong spices (like cumin or nutmeg) that were unrelated to the food’s location.

Rejunte de links sobre Sapolsky

transcript of 's How I Write Conversation.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/howiwrite/Transcripts/Sapolsky_transcript.html

video
http://vodreal.stanford.edu/urp/hiw/040903.ram

datos biograficos
http://www.stanford.edu/group/howiwrite/Bios/robertsapolsky/

Depression in the Brain
http://www.lcmedia.com/mind377.htm

Anxiety (cited)
http://www.mcmanweb.com/anxiety.htm

Weblog post about Sapolsky with links
http://jollysocratic.blogspot.com/2005/10/robert-sapolsky-on-stress.html

Taming Stress
An emerging understanding of the brain's stress pathways points toward
treatments for anxiety and depression beyond Valium and Prozac
By Robert Sapolsky
http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=00083A00-318C-1F30-9AD380A84189F2D7

'Monkeyluv': Primates Are People, Too
By JAMIE SHREEVE
Published: November 6, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/06/books/review/06shreeve.html

"Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers"
by David Ruenzel

Dr. Robert Sapolsky is a Professor of Neurology at Stanford University.
Dr.Sapolsky Spoke at the Brain Connection to Education Spring Conference 2000.
http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/printindex.php3?main=fa/zebras

A Conversation With Robert Sapolsky
by Simon Hanson, Ph.D.
http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/printindex.php3?main=conv/sapolsky

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers : An Updated Guide To Stress, Stress Related
Diseases, and Coping ("Scientific American" Library) (Paperback)
by Robert M. Sapolsky
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0716732106/104-6068630-1823122?v=glance

También buscar en Google video y YouTube.

DHA, p300 latency and Memory

DHA and Memory

Myanaga, K, Yonemura, K et al. DHA Shortens p300 latency in healthy persons. International Conference on Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Nutrition and Disease Prevention 1996. Barcelona, Spain.

A certain type of brain wave called p300 is linked to memory and learning. The faster the rate of transmission, the more efficiently the brain is functioning. The rate declines with age, and is slower in people with dementia. To demonstrate if Omega-3 fatty acids influence this brain function, researchers took 26 normal adult volunteers hooked them up to electrodes and gave them a test that determined their p300 rate. Immediately after taking the test, they were given supplements of either EPA or DHA (both are derivatives of Omega-3 from fish). Two hours later, their brain waves were measured, and this time the p300 rate was significantly faster in the group given the DHA supplements, supporting their hypothesis that DHA might enhance mental abilities in adults as well.

No todo es malo con la edad para el cerebro

STUDY SHOWS YOUR BRAIN GETS BETTER WITH AGE!

Brain-imaging is revealing many things about our brains that challenge the way we’ve traditionally thought about brain function and development. Here’s a report on a brain-imaging based study released this month …

It turns out the brain is more like fine wine than cheap beer: It gets better and more sophisticated with age, according to a new University of New Mexico study. The body stops producing gray matter – the stuff the brain's thinking lobes are made out of – at about age 16.

But white matter – the connective fiber between the lobes that allows parts of the brain to interact with each other – continues to grow until about age 45, according to the study by UNM's Health Sciences Center and New Mexico VA Health Care Systems.

“It looks like in some ways people between ages 35 to 45 are actually at their prime in terms of brain development,” said Cheryl Aine, a UNM researcher and lead author of a paper that details the findings in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal NeuroImage.

Scientists used to think it was all downhill for the brain after the teenage years, because gray matter stops developing and shrinks as people enter their 20s, Aine said. In the study, scientists scrutinized that theory by imaging the brains of people in three age groups – people 20-29, 35-45 and those older than 60.

They found that gray matter becomes more refined, and the white matter “superhighway” that sends information between them keeps growing well into adulthood. “We lose some of the gray matter because we get rid of the extra synapses we don't use,” Aine said. “It's more sculpted after that. It's more efficient.”

When it comes to memory and learning, young brains do still have an edge, said Janice Knoefel, a physician in geriatrics at the VA Hospital who also worked on the study. “Attention tends to decline and memory tends to decline as we get older,” she said. “But we use different strategies to remember things.”

by Sue Vorenberg
from the Scripps Howard News Service

Another thing we’re learning is just how much it matters that we care for our brains. Proper nutrition, rest, physical and mental exercise are essential to keeping our brains in prime condition as we age. Our internal research here at Amen Clinics is bearing that out. The function (or lack thereof) of certain brain areas has an impact on our behavior, life and family.

The good news is, the better we can identify the parts of the brain that are either working too hard or not hard enough, the better we can focus our treatment on that area. So, there’s hope for all of us on “the back side of forty”. Our brains really can improve with age and the proper care. And, as we understand the brain better, I believe our best brain-health days are yet to come!

To Your Brain Health,

Daniel

Daniel Amen, M.D.
www.amenclinics.com

Las frutillas son buenas para la memoria

Fisetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid commonly found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, stimulates signaling pathways that enhance long-term memory, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
...
Besides strawberries, fisetin is found in tomatoes, onions, oranges, apples, peaches, grapes, kiwifruit and persimmons. Gingko biloba leaves, while rich in other flavonoids, do not contain fisetin.

While eating strawberries sounds like an enjoyable alternative to popping a pill, Maher cautions that it would take about 10 pounds a day to achieve a beneficial effect, which might prove too much even for the most avid strawberry lovers.

sciencedaily

Alga Wakame

Parece que al alga Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) le están encontrando muy buenas propiedades para prevenir enfermedades. El Wakame contiene un carotenoide llamado fucoxantina (fucoxanthin en Inglés) que no está presente en otras algas como el Nori y reduce los daños en modelos animales de infartos cerebrales, inhibe el cáncer, la hipertensión e incluso disminuye la obesidad.

Algunos especulan que el consumo de Wakame podría ser el factor responsable de la longevidad de las mujeres asiáticas de Bergen County, USA quienes tienen una expectativa de vida de 90 años.

Demasiado bueno para creerlo, pero se pueden encontrar los artículos en pubmed.com

¿Tendrá el gusto inmundo de las otras algas?.

Fanatica del Ginkgo

Name: Cor Kwant
About Me: Teacher, creator and webmaster of The Ginkgo Pages, a non-commercial awarded homepage about all aspects of the Ginkgo biloba tree, translated into German, French, Spanish and Dutch.

Su blog es: The Ginkgo Pages Forum - Blog

Incluye un interesante post en el que detalla las marcas de ginkgo que pasaron los tests de Consumerlab.

Atlas del cerebro

"We have essentially mapped each individual gene in the mouse brain, about 21,000 genes in all, down to the cellular level," said Allan Jones, chief scientific officer at the Allen Institute for Brain Science.

www.brainatlas.org

quinasa M zeta proteina que refuerza la memoria

Noticia interesante a pesar de los errores de ortografía.

"El trabajo se publicó el pasado 25 de agosto en Science y en él se describe la encima llamada quinasa M zeta. Esta proteína conserva la memoria a largo plazo a través un refuerzo persistente de las conexiones sinápticas entre las neuronas. Inhibiendo la enzima los científicos fueron capaces de borrar los recuerdos almacenados en un día o incluso en un mes. Esta función en el almacenamiento de la memoria es específica de esta proteína porque inhibiendo otras moléculas similares no se obtienen los mismos resultados."

novaciencia

Nutricion y salud mental

Un artículo sobresimplificador y remanido (además de peligrosamente antifármacos) pero del que se puede sacar alguna recomendación.

Four brain chemicals -- serotonin, catecholamine, GABA and endorphin -- are essential for proper mental health, each affecting a different area of the brain. Some of us, unfortunately, have a genetic predisposition to lack these chemicals. Additionally, the modern mainstream diet is deficient in the amino acids that our brains need to make these neurotransmitters. As a result of these factors, incidence of depression and anxiety has reached epidemic proportions.

Achieve optimum mental health by supplementing deficient brain chemicals instead of resorting to dangerous antidepressant drugs

Idebenona si o no?

Hay opiniones encontradas sobre la conveniencia de usar idebenona (un análogo sintético de la Coenzima Q10 cuya acción se da principalmente a nivel de las mitocondrias). Algunos la acusan de ser pro-oxidante (superóxido).

Idebenona sí o idebenona no?

l-carnitina o acetil-l-carnitina?

A pesar de que muchos afirman que la acetil l-carnitina (ALCAR) es superior a la l-carnitina (especialmente para las mitocondrias y el cerebro), este artículo  explica cómo una se transforma en la otra. Habrá que tener en cuenta también a los que usan ALCAR como juvenon.com . La carnitina es mucho más barata que la ALCAR por lo que no estaría mal empezar por la primera.

2. What form is best?

Pharmacologically speaking, there is little difference between supplementing with L-carnitine and supplementing with ALCAR. This is because ALCAR is deacetylated during or immediately after intestinal cell uptake, and then a certain amount of free carnitine is later reacetylated (1, 2). Similarly, it has been shown that supplementation with both L-carnitine and ALCAR increase tissue levels of both substances, and that the intestine creates significant amounts of ALCAR from carnitine (2, 3).

7. How should carnitine be taken?

The typical dosage for carnitine is 1-4 g/day (65). A study on the pharmacokinetics of oral L-carnitine in human subjects found no differences in plasma carnitine after 2 g vs. 6 g, indicating that 2 g is already more than the saturable dose (66). The half-life of the 2 gram dose was 6.5 hours, and this would imply that the ideal dosing schedule would be 1-2 grams 2-3 times daily, although many studies indicate beneficial effects with only .5-1.5 grams daily.


1. Iossa S, Mollica MP, Lionetti L, Crescenzo R, Botta M, Barletta A, Liverini G. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation differently influences nutrient partitioning, serum leptin concentration and skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration in young and old rats. J Nutr 2002 Apr;132(4):636-42

2. Gross CJ, Henderson LM, Savaiano DA. Uptake of L-carnitine, D-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine by isolated guinea-pig enterocytes. Biochim Biophys Acta 1986 May 29;886(3):425-33 [abstract]

3. Gudjonsson H, Li BU, Shug AL, Olsen WA. In vivo studies of intestinal carnitine absorption in rats. Gastroenterology 1985 Jun;88(6):1880-7

L-Carnitine Description By David Tolson

Videos estres y cerebro

Estrés y placer, extremos encontrados
Clip de la entrevista de Eduard Punset con el biólogo Robert Sapolsky. Más
información en texto en smartplanet.
video en youtube


'Stress, Neurodegeneration and Individual Differences' by Robert Sapolsky
video en Google



        

Articulo en Quo

Un artículo con varias cosas criticables, pero como para lerlo:

Recarga tu mente        

¿Hasta dónde llegarías para sacar el máximo partido a tu cerebro?
El doping intelectual es ya una tentación a tu alcance.

Fuente: quo.wanadoo.es

Fechas de vencimiento de los suplementos y drogas

Q Is there any problem in taking vitamins a year or so past the expiration date? Are there specific vitamins that would deteriorate so much that one shouldn’t take them?

A This is a commonly asked question, and the answer must be qualified. Regarding drugs, the FDA has monitored what they call the shelf life extension program (SLEP) of drugs for the past 20 years for the United States Department of Defense.1 Extensive pharmaceutical stability data indicate that in 88% of the drugs tested (122 in all, representing 3005 different lots), shelf life was extended for at least one year beyond the originally indicated expiration date—and by an average of 66 months! However, there was a lot of variability during the extended period, and the FDA reported that the only way to be assured of continuing potency was through periodic testing and systematic evaluation of each lot.

Regarding supplements such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients, no large study has ever been undertaken, as far as I know. (With all that testing, the cost of the SLEP study must have been staggering!) But we do know, from stress and stability studies of individual supplements, that there is a great deal of variability, just as there was in the SLEP study.

The principal factor that determines shelf life is initial quality. The supplement must have essential material as much as is reasonably possible and, by the same token, low levels of nonessential material. It must also have low levels of prooxidative residues, as little moisture as possible, and, if synthesized (as most vitamins are), great chemical stability. Herbal materials must have nearly unmeasurable levels of bacteria or be sterilized. The supplement must be packaged in opaque and secure containers in a clean or sterile, dust-free, air-conditioned, dehumidified environment and not be subjected to extremes in temperature. Finally, as you have undoubtedly seen on the labels, the supplements should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.

Products made under the above conditions, if stored properly in unopened bottles, should last at least two years before any loss of potency occurs, and, once opened, they should hold up for at least one year.

Initial quality is paramount. For example, the vitamin C developed by Hoffmann-La Roche has been found to outlast other vitamin C products by many years (unopened samples have maintained their purity and potency for up to 20 years). Other vitamin C products have been found to darken, changing color from brown to gray to black in only a few years. This darkening reflects the formation of dehydroascorbic acid, an oxidized form of vitamin C that is undesirable to ingest. Life Enhancement Products uses only vitamins manufactured by the successor company to Hoffmann-La Roche, as well as amino acids, hormones, herbs, and other supplements from the world’s premium producers.

Lyon RC, Taylor JS, Porter DA, Prasanna HR, Hussain AS. Stability profiles of drug products extended beyond labeled expiration dates. J Pharm Sci 2006 Jul;95(7):1549-60.

Supplement Expiration Dates: How Reliable Are They?

BBC - Radio 4 Memory Experience - Improve your memory

BBC - Radio 4 Memory Experience - Improve your memory: "Tips and techniques to improve your memory
Memory Strategies - do what the experts do!

Memory isn't like a muscle, something specific you can exercise. It's a way of organising information in your brain. So to improve your memory, you need to change and re-organise the way you think and this will help to support how your memory works."

Curcuma para el Alzheimer

En hipocampo.org hay una nota en Español que pongo abajo sobre lo que mencioné antes de la curcumina y el Alzheimer:

El pigmento del curry, nueva esperanza para el Alzheimer

La curcumina (Curcuma longa, azafrán de Las Indias), pigmento amarillo utilizado en la elaboración del polvo de curry, podría constituir una nueva esperanza en el tratamiento de la enfermedad de Alzheimer. La revista Journal of Biological Chemistry publica en su edición preliminar online un estudio de investigadores de la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles que muestra cómo la curcumina inhibe in vivo la formación de ß-amiloide (ßA).

La curcumina ya ha demostrado con anterioridad fuertes propiedades antiinflamatorias y antioxidantes, siendo capaz de suprimir el daño oxidativo, la inflamación, los déficit cognoscitivos y la acumulación de amiloide.

Dado que la estructura molecular de la curcumina sugería su potencial de ligarse al ßA, los autores de este estudio decidieron investigar si su eficacia en modelos de enfermedad de Alzheimer podría explicarse mediante sus efectos sobre la agregación del ßA.

Bajo condiciones de agregación in vitro, la curcumina no sólo inhibe la agregación, sino que también muestra poder de desagregación del ßA(40) fibrilar, indicando una estequiometría favorable para la inhibición. Demostró ser mejor inhibidor de la agregación del ßA(40) que el ibuprofeno y el naproxeno, e impidió la formación y toxicidad del oligómero ßA(42). Estos efectos de la curcumina no dependían de la secuencia del ßA, sino de su conformación fibrilar. Unos cortes cerebrales incubados con curcumina, procedentes de ratones transgénicos modelo de enfermedad de Alzheimer, revelaron un marcado preferencial de la placas de amiloide.

Los estudios in vivo demostraron que la injección de curcumina por vía periférica atravesaba la barrera hematoencefálica y se ligaba a las placas de amiloide en ratones transgénicos de avanzada edad. Usada como alimento en viejos ratones transgénicos Tg2576 (un modelo transgénico de enfermedad de Alzheimer) con avanzada acumulación de amiloide, la curcumina marcaba las placas y reducía tanto los niveles de amiloide como la carga de placas.

Por lo tanto, la curcumina se liga al ßA bloqueando su agregación y su conformación fibrilar, tanto in vitro como in vivo.

Los autores afirman en sus conclusiones que ". . . Estos datos sugieren que la curcumina a dosis bajas desagrega eficazmente el ßA evitando también la formación de fibrillas y oligómeros, respaldando la argumentación para el uso de la curcumina en ensayos clínicos de prevención o tratamiento de la enfermedad de Alzheimer".

F. Yang et al. Curcumin inhibits formation of Aß oligomers and fibrils and binds plaques
and reduces amyloid in vivo. J Biol Chem 2004, 10.1074/jbc.M404751200

hipocampo.org

La curcuma mejora el cerebro en ancianos

Popular curry spice is a brain booster
04 August 2006
From New Scientist Print Edition. Subscribe and get 4 free issues.

Call it yellow ginger, haldi, turmeric or E100, the yellow root of Curcuma longa, a staple ingredient in curry, is turning out to be gratifyingly healthy. Now Tze-Pin Ng and colleagues at the National University of Singapore have discovered that curry eating seems to boost brain power in elderly people.

Curcumin, a constituent of turmeric, is an antioxidant, and reports have suggested that it inhibits the build-up of amyloid plaques in people with Alzheimer's. Ng's team looked at the curry-eating habits of 1010 Asian people unaffected by Alzheimer's and aged between 60 and 93, and compared their performance in a standard test of cognitive function, the Mini Mental State Examination. Those people who consumed curry "occasionally" (once or more in 6 months but less than once a month) and "often" (more than once a month) had better MMSE results than those who only ate curry "never or rarely" (American Journal of Epidemiology, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwj267).

"What is remarkable is that apparently one needs only to consume curry once in a while for the better cognitive performance to be evidenced," says Ng, who says he wants to confirm the results, possibly in a controlled clinical trial comparing curcumin and a placebo.
From issue 2563 of New Scientist magazine, 04 August 2006, page 18

Caidas en ancianos pueden indicar problemas cerebrales

Hay una interesante nota en que explica que ciertas lesiones cerebrales como hemorragias producidas por golpes (aún golpes leves o movimientos bruscos de la cabeza en un cerebro que ya está afectado por el encojimiento, lo que produce tensión en los vasos sanguíneos que pueden sangrar), pueden ser la causa de caídas o cambios del comportamiento. Se requiere atención para evitar el paso de tiempo sin atender el problema de base.


As the years go by, the adult brain slowly atrophies, like a desiccated orange detaching from its rind. The shrinkage can cause problems. Cerebral veins are tethered to the superior sagittal sinus, the large blood vessel that runs front to back along the underside of the skull. As the brain contracts, these bridging veins must stretch, making them vulnerable to shearing forces caused by rapid head movements or even modest contusions. Without sufficient brain tissue to support and compress the bleeding site, small, low-pressure venous leaks may go unstanched. The blood seeps into the gap between the arachnoid membrane that encloses the brain and the lining of the skull, or dura mater. Bleeding into this space is called a subdural hematoma.

Acute subdural hematomas result from severe head trauma and expand quickly. Chronic subdural hematomas, on the other hand, often spread slowly—and without visible symptoms. What really scares emergency physicians—and has me repeating to patients and their families, "Return if there's any change in behavior"—is that older people who have fallen can look fine for weeks before the bleeding causes symptoms. By then, relatives will have forgotten the long-ago head knock, attributing Granddad's confusion to the heat, the cold, or a dizzy spell. Without that critical, sometimes lifesaving clue, precious time is lost.

Vital Signs: Why is Grandpa Falling?    
A seemingly simple stumble provides clues to serious injury.    
By Tony Dajer   
DISCOVER Vol. 27 No. 08 | August 2006 |

Suplementos para el deterioro mental

Monday, July 31, 2006
Dietary supplements for mental decline (Alzheimer's)

Knowledge of Health, Inc., Blog – August 1, 2006: So mom’s in the nursing home, loaded up with ineffective drugs to help overcome signs of senility and memory loss, plus other drugs for blood pressure and circulation. A small study of 35 such patients (average age 71 years) shows that the addition of dietary supplements (multivitamin, vitamin E, lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, omega-3 oils) along with physical exercise and sound dietary measures slowed the decline in brain function and actually improved memory and other brain functions. [American Journal Alzheimer’s Disease 20: 21-26, 2005] Now all you have to do is get the doctor to go along with the idea. –Copyright 2006 Bill Sardi, Knowledge of Health, Inc.

knowledgeofhealth.com

Alimentos que deprimen o estimulan

Según la Médico naturista Albertinazi (en una entrevista con Chiche Gelblung por radio) hay alimentos de deprimen o estimulan.

Deprimen (o mejor dicho sedan):

Azúcar blanco
Demasiada proteína cansa
vegetales verdes, sedantes por contener vitamina B6
tronco de la lechuga


Estimulan, ponen alegre:

ácidos grasos Omega 3, de pescado de aguas frías (que comen Krill) o de semillas de lino, semillas de chía u hojas verdes. Las semillas agregadas al pan pierden los omega en la cocción.
alimentos crudos dan energía (fruta, zanahorias, repollo crudo, no el repollo fermentado que sin embargo mejora la digestión)
jengibre da energía pero eleva la presión, se puede tomar una cucharadita por día o en té para los resfríos

Ampakinas revierten perdida de memoria

Drug triggers body's mechanism to reverse aging effect on memory process

A drug made to enhance memory appears to trigger a natural mechanism in the
brain that fully reverses age-related memory loss, even after the drug
itself has left the body, according to researchers at UC Irvine.

Professors Christine Gall and Gary Lynch, along with Associate Researcher
Julie Lauterborn, were among a group of scientists who conducted studies on
rats with a class of drugs known as ampakines. Ampakines were developed in
the early 1990s by UC researchers, including Lynch, to treat age-related
memory impairment and may be useful for treating a number of central
nervous system disorders, such as Alzheimer�s disease and schizophrenia. In
this study, the researchers showed that ampakine drugs continue to reverse
the effects of aging on a brain mechanism thought to underlie learning and
memory even after they are no longer in the body. They do so by boosting
the production of a naturally occurring protein in the brain necessary for
long-term memory formation.

The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology.

This is a significant discovery,� said Gall, professor of anatomy and
neurobiology. �Our results indicate the exciting possibility that ampakines
could be used to treat learning and memory loss associated with normal aging.�

ver nota

Nos linkea Alamut

Nos linkea el blog Alamut en gregorius.blogia.com : Grietas en la realidad consensuada y Cultura Pop No aristotélica, donde hay una serie de links a otros sitios interesantes.

No, no sé qué quiere decir Alamut...

Cafiaspirina vs. Cafiaspirina Plus

Las tabletas de aspirina de bayer se venden sueltas y no traen la composición como antes, cosa que me parece muy mal.

Por eso se me ocurrió buscar la composición en kairosweb.com


CAFIASPIRINA PLUS - BAYER CONSUMER
Cada comprimido contiene: ácido acetilsalicílico 650mg, cafeína 65mg, en un excipiente de: almidón de maíz csp 850mg.

CAFIASPIRINA - BAYER CONSUMER
Cada comprimido contiene: ácido acetilsalicílico 500mg, cafeína 40mg, en un excipiente de: almidón de maíz csp 650mg.

Según lo que me dijo un farmacéutico, el agregado de cafeína potencia el efecto analgésico de la aspirina (ácido acetil salicílico). La publicidad no apunta a eso sino al efecto estimulante, como bien se ve en la frase "el dolor pare, vos no". ¡Dale dale sin parar, tomate un par de Cafiaspirinas como se ve en el aviso de la tele y seguí laburando y jodiendo y haciendo como que tu estómago es de acero inoxidable (y como que la naturaleza creó el dolor y la temperatura para molestar nomás y que no avisan de nada)!.

Para malestares comunes a mí me alcanza y sobra con una baya o cafia común.

Como realizar la respiracion Sudarshan Kriya de Ravi Shankar

Si no tiene los varios $ necesarios para hacer el curso de respiración Sudarshan Kriya según las enseñanzas de Sri Ravi Shankar (que no es el músico) que dicta la Fundación El Arte de Vivir (que por como lo divulgan parece gratis), aquí tiene la base de la técnica, tal cual la describe Jon Steinberg quien tomó uno de los cursos de cinco días en New York:

Estos son los pasos para realizar la respiración profunda abdominal y obtener sus beneficios de relajación de cuerpo y mente:

1- Siéntese en una posición confortable con su columna vertebral tan derecha como sea posible o acuéstese en el piso o en su cama. Cierre sus ojos y coloque sus manos sobre el abdomen, justo por debajo de las costillas.

2- Respire despacio y profundamente por la nariz, concentrándose en llenar la base de los pulmones de manera que su estómago se expanda suavemente. Sus manos deberán moverse hacia afuera junto con su estómago y su pecho se elevará, pero no demasiado.

3. Al final de la inhalación, haga una breve pausa y luego exhale lentamente por la nariz, permitiendo a su estómago desinflarse y a su pecho y espalda liberarse de toda tensión.

4. Haga una breve pausa y repita el ejercicio por un total de diez respiraciones. Cuando haya terminado, mantenga los ojos cerrados y respire normalmente por un minuto aproximadamente permitiendo que su respiración vuelva a su ritmo natural.

Una vez que aprendió la técnica puede realizar la respiración abdominal en cualquier parte: la oficina, el auto o en la cama por la noche. Recuerde canalizar la respiración por el estómago y no el pecho. Esto produccirá el reflejo de relajación.

alternativemedicine.com


Nota editada:
El artículo original ahora está disponible en http://www.naturalsolutionsmag.com/article-display/8814/subTopicID/170/Can-Deep-Breathing-Save-the-World

Los cursos no son gratis. Agregado: ver este comentario sobre arrepentidos del Arte de Vivir

Otro estudio sobre el chocolate

"Chocolate contains many substances that act as stimulants, such as theobromine, phenethylamine, and caffeine," Dr. Bryan Raudenbush from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia noted in comments to Reuters Health.
 
 "These substances by themselves have previously been found to increase alertness and attention and what we have found is that by consuming chocolate you can get the stimulating effects, which then lead to increased mental performance."
...
"Composite scores for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher for milk chocolate than the other conditions," Raudenbush told Reuters Health. And consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time."

Reuters

¿Será el azúcar o el chocolate?.

Trophic Factors Generate Functioning New Neurons for Brain Repair

Trophic Factors Generate Functioning New Neurons for Brain Repair : " To increase BDNF levels using safe, available measures, see [.../see/drugs/bdnfdrugs.htm](http://hdlighthouse.org/see/drugs/bdnfdrugs.htm), [.../treatment-care/care/hdltriad/exercise/updates/1243bdnf.php](http://hdlighthouse.org/treatment-care/care/hdltriad/exercise/updates/1243bdnf.php), and [.../TreatmentNow/updates/0085-SSRItreatment.php](http://hdlighthouse.org/TreatmentNow/updates/0085-SSRItreatment.php).)"

scyllo-inositol para el Alzheimer

In the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease, small proteins called
amyloid â aggregate into plaques, and a protein called tau clumps into
neurofibrillary tangles. The brain becomes inflamed and neurons atrophy and
die. It's not completely clear what kind of amyloid â peptide (monomers,
oligomeric aggregates, or fibrillar aggregates) is responsible for the
onset of disease, said St George-Hyslop of the University of Toronto.
"Because we were able to show that scyllo-inositol specifically dispersed
the high-molecular-weight oligomeric aggregates, this study confirms that
the initiating event is the accumulation of oligomeric aggregates of
amyloid â peptide,” he said.

A Sweet Solution to Alzheimer's Disease?

Plan de 14 dias para mejorar el cerebro

Un plan de ejercicios y nutrición saludable de 14 días puede mejorar el funcionamiento cerebral según una reciente investigación.

En el abstract se puede ver que los sujetos eran de 35 a 69 años (promedio 53): Seventeen nondemented subjects, aged 35–69 years (mean: 53 years, standard deviation: 10) with mild self-reported memory complaints but normal baseline memory performance.

El plan incluyó ejercicios mentales como crucigramas y juegos de ingenio, caminatas, pequeñas comidas cinco veces al día para mantener adecuados niveles de glucosa y ejercicios de relajación para combatir el stress (que libera el dañino cortisol).

El resultado fue un cerebro más eficiente mostrado por un menor metabolismo en las áreas activadas durante el procesamiento de memoria activa (cortex prefrontal dorso lateral).

Source: University of California - Los Angeles

Posted: May 22, 2006

Simple Lifestyle Changes May Improve Cognitive Function And Brain Efficiency

A UCLA research study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that people may be able to improve their cognitive function and brain efficiency by making simple lifestyle changes such as incorporating memory exercises, healthy eating, physical fitness and stress reduction into their daily lives.

"We've known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important," said lead investigator, Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. "The UCLA study is the first to show the impact of memory exercises and stress reduction used together with a healthy diet and physical exercise to improve brain and cognitive function."

Researchers found that after just 14 days of following healthy lifestyle strategies, study participants' brain metabolism decreased in working memory regions, suggesting an increased efficiency -- so the brain didn't have to work as hard to accomplish tasks.

For the two-week study, 17 subjects with normal baseline memory performance scores were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group did not make any behavior modifications, while a test group incorporated healthy longevity strategies to improve physical and mental function.

Details of the healthy strategies employed in the study also are highlighted in Small's new book to be published today, "The Longevity Bible: 8 Essential Strategies for Keeping Your Mind Sharp and Your Body Young" (Hyperion, New York, 2006).

Participants on the healthy longevity plan incorporated the following into their daily routine:
* To stimulate the brain, memory exercises such as crossword puzzles and brainteasers were conducted throughout the day.
* To improve physical fitness, participants took daily walks, which have been found to increase life expectancy and lower the risk of Alzheimer disease.
* To improve their diet, study participants on the plan ate five small meals a day, which prevents drops in blood glucose levels since glucose is the main energy source for the brain. In addition, they ate a balanced diet full of omega-3 fats, antioxidants and low glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains.
* To manage stress, participants performed daily relaxation exercises. Small notes that stress causes the body to release cortisol, a hormone that can impair memory and damage brain memory cells.

Brain function was tested before and after the 14-day study, using positron emission tomography (PET) scans to measure brain activity. Participants who followed the healthy longevity lifestyle plan demonstrated a five percent decrease in brain metabolism in the part of the brain directly linked to working memory called the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex.

"The finding suggests that for participants who had followed the healthy longevity program, the brain functioned more efficiently and didn't need to use as much glucose to perform effectively," Small said.

In addition, compared to the control group, participants also performed better in verbal fluency, a cognitive function controlled by the same brain region.

"The research demonstrates that in just 14 days, simple lifestyle changes can not only help overall health, but also improve memory and brain function," Small said. "Our next step is to assess the individual effects of each lifestyle strategy, which may help us develop an optimal combination.

The study was funded by the Fran and Ray Stark Foundation Fund for Alzheimer's Disease Research, the Judith Olenick Elgart Fund for Research on Brain Aging and the Parlow Solomon Professorship on Aging.

Study co-authors also were from UCLA and included Dr. Daniel Silverman, Prabha Siddarth, Linda Ercoli, Karen Miller, Dr. Helen Lavretsky, Dr. Benjamin Wright, Susan Bookheimer, Jorge Barrio and Michael Phelps.

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, published monthly, is the official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and can be found online at ajgponline.org

Omega3 y crecimiento neuronal en el cortex frontal

"According to the Times, a study in Finland revealed that prisoners with a record of violent crimes tended to have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. In a follow up study, symptoms of anger were cut in half when omega-3 supplements were given to subjects with a history of substance abuse.

The Finland team theorizes that omega-3s prompt neuron growth in the frontal cortex, the area of the brain that manages impulsive behavior."

life-enthusiast.com

Why sex matters for neuroscience : Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Why sex matters for neuroscience : Nature Reviews Neuroscience: "Nature Reviews Neuroscience 7, 477-484 (June 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrn1909
Why sex matters for neuroscience

Larry Cahill1 About the author
Top
of page
Abstract

A rapidly burgeoning literature documents copious sex influences on brain anatomy, chemistry and function. This article highlights some of the more intriguing recent discoveries and their implications. Consideration of the effects of sex can help to explain seemingly contradictory findings. Research into sex influences is mandatory to fully understand a host of brain disorders with sex differences in their incidence and/or nature. The striking quantity and diversity of sex-related influences on brain function indicate that the still widespread assumption that sex influences are negligible cannot be justified, and probably retards progress in our field."

La importancia de las celulas gliales

Las neuronas no son las únicas células reguladoras de la comunicación cerebral, tal como se creía hasta ahora, ya que científicos europeos han descubierto que las células gliales, principales componentes del sistema nervioso central, intervienen también, aunque indirectamente, en los procesos de la memoria y del aprendizaje.
...
Las células gliales, sin embargo, son los principales componentes del sistema nervioso  Las células gliales pueden ser de varias clases: astrocitos, oligodendroglia y microglia.
...
De este descubrimiento se desprende un nuevo concepto: la sinapsis tripartita, que añade un tercer elemento, la célula glial, a la comunicación entre neuronas. Los dos únicos elementos reconocidos hasta ahora en la representación sináptica son el elemento presináptico, que origina la información, y el elemento postsináptico, que recibe la información.

El tercer elemento es la célula glial, que interviene en el proceso de la memoria porque no sólo detecta e integra la señal sináptica, sino que además puede reaccionar liberando sustancias activas llamadas gliotransmisores, que estimulan directamente a la neurona postsináptica.

tendencias21.net

Nootropicos en otros idiomas

Gracias a Google trends: piracetam nos podemos dar cuenta de que la difusión de los nootrópicos no está en los países de habla inglesa o española:

Top regions (normalized)                        
1.      Czech Republic  
2.      Romania         
3.      Indonesia       
4.      Philippines     
5.      Colombia        
6.      India   
7.      Brazil  
8.      Poland  
9.      Belgium         
10.     Taiwan

Por lo tanto buscar por piracetam site:cz o site:ro nos da interesantes resultados. Lo más interesante es que el rumano se entiende mucho y desafortunadamente el checo nada.

Palabras que usan para referirse en checo (por ejemplo en este foro) a los nootrópicos: nootropiky, nootropikách, chytré drogy. Para drogas: Cholin, Cholinem, Piracetam, piracetamu,

Habrá que empezar a buscar referencias en los lugares donde abundan (por ejemplo con Google.ro), que no parecen ser los nuestros.

Claro que por ciudades no es mucha sorpresa que san Francisco a pesar de todo esté tercera, la costa oeste siempre se hizo notar:

Top cities (normalized)                 
1.      Prague  Czech Republic  
2.      Bucharest  Romania      
3.      San Francisco, CA  USA  
4.      Houston, TX  USA        
5.      Sao Paulo  Brazil       
6.      Los Angeles, CA  USA    
7.      Seattle, WA  USA        
8.      Brussels  Belgium       
9.      Taipei  Taiwan  
10.     New York, NY  USA


Los primeros puestos de estas estadísticas de búsqueda en Google son por mucha diferencia.

Somniferos despiertan del coma

Sleeping pills offer wake-up call to vegetative patients

Michael Hopkin

Clinical researchers have discovered that they can rouse semi-comatose
patients by giving them, bizarrely, a common sleeping drug. If more
wide-ranging tests are successful, the drug could become the first
effective treatment for 'persistent vegetative state', the condition at the
centre of the US legal battle over sufferer Terri Schiavo last year.

British and South African doctors have reported the cases of three
semi-comatose patients who were revived for several hours at a time by
zolpidem, marketed to millions of insomniacs under the brand name Ambien.
The drug allows the semi-comatose patients to talk with friends and family
for several hours before the effect wears off, they report in the journal
NeuroRehabilitation1.

The patients, two of whom suffered severe head injuries in motor accidents
and a third who was left brain damaged by a near-drowning incident, have
been taking the pills every day for several years, with no severe side effects.

"The effect is amazing to say the least," says Ralf Clauss of the Royal
Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, UK, who discovered it along with his
colleague Wally Nel of the Family Practice in Pollack Park, Springs, South
Africa. "They can interact, make jokes and speak on the phone." One of them
even mastered catching a baseball.

Animacion cerebro y efecto de drogas

Animación de cómo funciona el cerebro y lo afectan distintas drogas como cannabis, cocaína, tabaco, alcohol, éxtasis, speed.

Es en Flash y tarda en cargar, se puede seleccionar idioma Español.

ver animación cerebro y drogas

Influencia paterna en el desarrollo profesional

Tendencias 21 - Art�culo TENDENCIAS SOCIALES - El padre es crucial para el desarrollo profesional de hijos e hijas - : "El �xito, el fracaso o la actitud que tengamos en nuestras carreras profesionales en la edad adulta depende del tipo de padre que hayamos tenido. Al menos, eso es lo que afirma el psic�logo estadounidense [Stephan Poulter](http://www.fatheryourson.com/about.html), un estudioso de las relaciones padre-hijo desde hace veinticinco a�os, que acaba de sacar un libro al respecto, titulado “[The father factor](http://www.fatheryourson.com/the-father-factor-book.html)”.

Seg�n Poulter, que tambi�n trabaja en Los Angeles con adolescentes en edad escolar, existen cinco tipos de padres: el super-triunfador, el bomba de relojer�a, el pasivo, el ausente y el mentor/clemente. Todos ellos influyen poderosamente en la vida laboral futura de sus hijos e hijas."

Dosis de cortisol bloquean miedos

Sin Dioses - Ciencia : Una pastilla para sus miedos: "La hormona cortisol puede bloquear su pánico"

De acuerdo con los investigadores, las personas que recibieron dosis de la hormona [cortisol], no sólo lograron bloquear el miedo en los pacientes sino que además les permitió finalizar con las técnicas conductuales durante el tratamiento psicológico.
...
Los científicos en Zurich utilizaron 40 voluntarios que sufrían de fobias sociales (hablar en público, tomar exámenes) y 20 personas con miedo extremo a las arañas. La mitad de los participantes recibieron dosis de la hormona cortisol mientras que la otra mitad recibió un placebo. Una hora después, los voluntarios comenzaron una terapia agresiva donde los aracnofóbicos eran enfrentados con una gran fotografía de una amenazante araña y los otros tenían que presentar una pequeña charla frente a desconocidos luego de pasar por una prueba sorpresa de matemáticas. Las personas que recibieron la hormona no sentían el pánico inicial y se sometieron a las pruebas hasta el final de las terapias. Precisamente, luego de realizar las pruebas pertinentes, proponemos que la hormona se use con estos fines, dijo de Quervain.
...
Sin embargo, no todo es beneficioso; la hormona está relacionada con la pérdida de memoria, especialmente la de largo plazo, y los científicos creen que precisamente esta cualidad es lo que la hace tan efectiva al momento de enfrentar el miedo. De la misma forma, el uso regular de esta hormona puede cambiar la presión sanguínea, el metabolismo y producir diabetes.


---

Por los efectos indeseables del cortisol, supongo que el propranolol sigue siendo una buena opción, pero todo habría que estudiarlo y siempre usarlo estratégicamente.

Formula con fosfatidilcolina para presentaciones

Para reducir el stress y la fatiga de dar presentaciones orales esta es una
fórmula que vi en un foro:

fosfatidilcolina 1600 mg (de fuente lecitina)
500-1000 mg GABA
complejo de vitaminas B en 50mg, vitamina C
siberian ginseng

Tomada durante el día y antes de las presentaciones (hora y media).

Creo que tiene sentido porque la colina ha mostrado en investigaciones de
Wurtman (si mal no recuerdo y también hay estudios uando la tirosina para
afrontar el estres) que disminuye la fatiga y se supone que podría ayudar
con la memoria y lo verbal, el GABA calmar la aprehensión y los demás
ingredientes contribuir, como el ginseng siberiano que es un adaptógeno
menos estimulante que el coreano.

Esta podría ser también una buena fórmula para exámenes.

Si alguien la prueba me gustaría saber cómo le fue.

Potions may hold hidden healing links

icNewcastle - Potions may hold hidden healing links: "Potions may hold hidden healing links

May 15 2006
By Jane Picken, The Evening Chronicle

From ginseng to glucose, there are thousands of substances we take for their supposed health properties. Professionals on Tyneside are working to come up with concrete evidence these potions actually work. Jane Picken has the details."

Probando la funcion link de Blogger

link

Sobre mi experiencia con piracetam

Como saben he estado tomando piracetam e hydergina en dosis más bien bajas. También algunas vitaminas y aceite de pescado. Últimamente agregué un poco de DMAE (dimetilaminoetanol).

Como algunos otros miembros de la lista de discusión sobre nootrópicos han mencionado he notado algunos efectos positivos, como más alerta, rapidez (noto eso al escribir en el teclado). También he notado más disposición para tareas que tienen que ver con algo más lógico y cierta intolerancia para lo que no lo parece (incluido tal vez personas). En discusiones he podido argumentar más fácil (no me gusta discutir).

En estos días he decidido suspender por un tiempo dado que noto una tendencia a la preocupación y a un ánimo bajo (debido en parte a situaciones adversas). Es algo que me suele pasar cuando hay estimulación. Tengo una tendencia a la serotonina baja, tal vez tuviera que suplementar con precursores pero son caros.

Además creo que la técnica de tomar descansos (cycling dicen los fisicoculturistas para sus stacks y tengo entendido que en la medicina tradicional china se toma el ginseng por ejemplo de esta manera, por períodos y no en forma continua) es algo que deberíamos analizar bien para que estas cosas funcionen mejor y sigan haciéndolo por más tiempo.

Espero comentarios y sugerencias.



 

Ser experto no es cuestion de talento sino de entrenamiento

Freakonomics
A Star Is Made
By STEPHEN J. DUBNER and STEVEN D. LEVITT

Extracto:

This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever innate differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person "encodes" the information. And the best way to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson determined, was a process known as deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a task — playing a C-minor scale 100 times, for instance, or hitting tennis serves until your shoulder pops out of its socket. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.
...
Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a wide range of pursuits, including soccer, golf, surgery, piano playing, Scrabble, writing, chess, software design, stock picking and darts. They gather all the data they can, not just performance statistics and biographical details but also the results of their own laboratory experiments with high achievers.

Their work, compiled in the "Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance," a 900-page academic book that will be published next month, makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers — whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming — are nearly always made, not born. And yes, practice does make perfect. These may be the sort of clichés that parents are fond of whispering to their children. But these particular clichés just happen to be true.

Ericsson's research suggests a third cliché as well: when it comes to choosing a life path, you should do what you love — because if you don't love it, you are unlikely to work hard enough to get very good. Most people naturally don't like to do things they aren't "good" at. So they often give up, telling themselves they simply don't possess the talent for math or skiing or the violin. But what they really lack is the desire to be good and to undertake the deliberate practice that would make them better.

nyt.com

ebook: 10 Unsolved Questions of Neuroscience

10 Unsolved Questions of Neuroscience
Professor: David Eagleman, PhD

http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/homepage/eagleman/10Q/book/

Combinacion de DHA con fosfatidilserina (PS-DHA)

En el último número de LE Magazine May 2006 hay una nota sobre varios suplementos para mantener las capacidades cognitivas y uno de ellos es una combinación de DHA (omega de los aceites de pescado) y fosfatidilserina (otro fosfolípido, presente en la lecitina). Parece que han logrado una forma de combinarlos de manera que actúen mejor sobre el cerebro y lo incluyeron en sus productos (supongo que Cognitex).


Combining DHA and Phosphatidylserine

In response to an increasing body of research showing the intricate relationship between DHA and phosphatidylserine (PS), scientists have developed a phosphatidylserine (PS)-DHA compound designed to be incorporated directly in the membranes of brain cells. The acronym for this novel compound is PS-DHA.

To evaluate the effects of PS-DHA on memory loss, a study was conducted on middle-aged rats with laboratory-induced accelerated brain aging. Administering traditional sources of DHA did not have an effect on this experimental model, but the group receiving the PS-DHA compound was able to attain a great deal of protection against this neurological challenge. When the brains of these animals were analyzed, there was more DHA incorporated in the cells of the group receiving the PS-DHA than in those receiving other omega-3 agents.3
        

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of humans with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was conducted using PS-DHA. The aim of the study was to improve behavioral and learning disabilities in patients with ADHD. The psychological evaluation included the Connor’s scoring test and computer-based analysis (T.O.V.A.). At the end of three months, the group receiving the PS-DHA showed a total response of 47% compared to only 19% in the placebo group.3

El virus de Epstein-Barr y la Esclerosis Multiple

Epstein-Barr Virus Might Kick-Start Multiple Sclerosis

Scientists think that MS (Multiple Sclerosis) ­which can cause vision problems, muscle weakness, and difficulty with coordination and balance­is a result of the immune
system attacking the body's own nervous system. Not everyone who is
infected with Epstein-Barr develops MS, but the results of the new study,
published in the June 2006, issue of the journal Brain, suggest that some
individuals' unusually strong reaction to the virus may trigger the
disease. The findings could lead to new therapeutic strategies for better
control of the damage caused in this autoimmune disorder.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Identifican gen que influye en la inteligencia

Feinstein researchers identify intelligence gene

GLEN OAKS, NY -- Psychiatric researchers at The Zucker Hillside Hospital
campus of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have uncovered
evidence of a gene that appears to influence intelligence. Working in
conjunction with researchers at Harvard Partners Center for Genetics and
Genomics in Boston, the Zucker Hillside team examined the genetic
blueprints of individuals with schizophrenia, a neuropsychiatric disorder
characterized by cognitive impairment, and compared them with healthy
volunteers. They discovered that the dysbindin-1 gene (DTNBP1), which they
previously demonstrated to be associated with schizophrenia, may also be
linked to general cognitive ability. The study is published in the May 15
print issue of Human Molecular Genetics, available online today, April 27.

"A robust body of evidence suggests that cognitive abilities, particularly
intelligence, are significantly influenced by genetic factors. Existing
data already suggests that dysbindin may influence cognition," said
Katherine Burdick, PhD, the study's primary author. "We looked at several
DNA sequence variations within the dysbindin gene and found one of them to
be significantly associated with lower general cognitive ability in
carriers of the risk variant compared with non-carriers in two independent
groups."

The study involved 213 unrelated Caucasian patients with schizophrenia or
schizoaffective disorder and 126 unrelated healthy Caucasian volunteers.
The researchers measured cognitive performance in all subjects. They then
analyzed participants' DNA samples. The researchers specifically examined
six DNA sequence variations, also known as single nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs), in the dysbindin gene and found that one specific pattern of SNPs,
known as a haplotype, was associated with general cognitive ability:
Cognition was significantly impaired in carriers of the risk variant in
both the schizophrenia group and the healthy volunteers as compared with
the non-carriers.

eurekalert.org

Sudoku

Sudoku es un juego de lógica que puede servir como ejercicio mental.

Pure Sudoku 76 K (en Español)
PbSuDoku 106 K

Hay otros en softonic.com

Sobre el juego Sudoku en Wikipedia:

Sudoku  es un rompecabezas matemático de colocación que se popularizó en Japón en 1986 y se dio a conocer en el ámbito internacional en 2005. El objetivo es rellenar una cuadrícula de 9×9 celdas (81 casillas) dividida en subcuadrículas de 3×3 (también llamadas "cajas" o "regiones") con las cifras del 1 al 9 partiendo de algunos números ya dispuestos en algunas de las celdas. No se debe repetir ninguna cifra en una misma fila, columna o subcuadrícula. Un sudoku está bien planteado si la solución es única. La resolución del problema requiere paciencia y ciertas dotes lógicas.

Para aprender hay que dormir

Es lo que demuestra el estudio del Dr Philippe Peigneux, University of Liege in Belgium.

Mediante un scan cerebral comprobaron que durante el sueño la actividad pasa del hipocampo (memoria de instrucciones) al  striatum (coordinación de movimientos). Los sujetos a quienes se los privó de sueño siguieron usando el hipocampo, lo que se interpreta como falta de consolidación de la memoria a largo plazo.

ver nota

Piperine multiplies the strength of many supplements and drugs

 It inhibits a number of enzymes responsible for metabolizing drugs and nutritional substances; it stimulates the activity of amino-acid transporters in the intestinal lining; it inhibits p-glycoprotein, the ‘pump’ protein that removes substances from cells; and it decreases the intestinal production of glucuronic acid, thereby permitting more of the substances to enter the body in active form. Consequently, some of these substances are able to reach, enter, and remain within their target cells for longer periods of time than would otherwise be the case. Of course, this can be a mixed blessing — if one is using a drug for which the therapeutic level is not substantially lower than the toxic level, piperine supplementation might raise the bioavailability of the drug until its intracellular concentration exceeds the toxic threshold. On the other hand, piperine supplementation can sometimes turn a marginally effective therapeutic substance into a highly effective one simply by increasing its bioavailability and intracellular residency time.
...
Piperine may reduce bioavailability of some substances
...
Dosage

The usual recommended dose of piperine is 5-15 mg/day. It is absorbed quickly and well from the digestive tract. Effects on absorption of other substances begin around 15 minutes after dosing and last for an hour or two. Blood levels peak about 1-2 hours after dosing but effects on metabolic enzymes can last much longer — from one to many hours, depending upon the enzyme type.
...
 The most reliable method for ensuring piperine’s effectiveness is to take a piperine dose about half an hour before taking the substance whose bioavailability one wants to enhance.

Theoretically, using piperine on a daily basis can put the body in a continuous state of altered metabolism for certain substances.

delano.com

Leantodo el artículo. precaución, sobre todo si toman medicamentos.

La piperina se consigue a bajo precio en beyond-a-century.com

Las legumbres prolongan la vida

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S126.
Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people
of different ethnicities.

Conclusions: This longitudinal study shows that a higher legume intake is the most
protective dietary predictor of survival amongst the elderly, regardless
of their ethnicity. The significance of legumes persisted even after
controlling for age at enrolment (in 5-year interval), gender, and
smoking. Legumes have been associated with long-lived food cultures such
as the Japanese (soy, tofu, natto, miso), the Swedes (brown beans, peas),
and the Mediterranean people (lentils, chickpeas, white beans).

Bloggers que usan piracetam

Usando blogsearch.google.com encontré blogs que con icerocket no.
Me interesaba saber si alguien usaba piracetam.
Encontré algunos, pero el que me interesó fue el de MOBIUS Frame en http://mobiusframe.blogspot.com/
Comenta su experiencia con piracetam y da buenas sugerencias. Además se hace interesantes preguntas sobre otros temas.

Calcular la dosis de piracetam

Aunque las dosis de piracetam son muy discutibles (he leído reportes de gente que usa desde 200 mg hasta varios gramos), encontré este buen recurso en un sitio sobre síndrome de Down (para los que algunos usan piracetam).

Piracetam Dosage Calculator
Se ingresa el peso en libras y la dosis deseada y calcula las dosis diarias.

Piracetam Sources & Cost
Permite calcular el costo por cantidad de producto según proveedor.
Hay otros proveedors que no figuran, como relentlessimprovement.com, bulknutrition.com, biologicsonline.com y posiblemente otros como axiombiologicals, 1fast400.com, customnutritionwarehouse.com (se recomienda averiguar confiabilidad).


Algunos datos interesantes en la página:

The recommended starting dosage per Lawrence G. Leichtman, M.D. FAAP, FACMG is 75 mg per body weight in kilograms per day. Select from drop down, target mg/kg/day and desired weight to calcuate daily dosage.

Reduce dosage if hyperactivity is noticed. Dosages under 30 mg are below the threshold for a positive outcome. Start dosage after age six months: dosages for babies under six months, although harmless, are too small to be effective, i.e., not enough lipid peroxidation for Piracetam to be effective.

Piracetam has a half life of 6 to 8 hours, i.e., half of the ingested amount is metabolized in the first 6 to 8 hours. There is no known storage mechanism for Piracetam. Because of the short half life, it is desirable to dose three times a day, about 6 hours apart (never less than 4 hours), to keep a steady state level.

Many children and adults report sleep-related problems taking Piracetam before bed because it does seem to increase general CNS (central nervous system) activity.

Do not store liquid Piracetam above 25° Celsius (77° Fahrenheit). Keep the solution our of the reach of children. Refrigeration is not necessary, else crystallization will occur; store in cool, dark place. For flavored Piracetam follow the storage recommendation of the compounding pharmacy. Saturation point of Piracetam is 1 gram per cc.

Cortical development occurs differently in extremely clever kids

Smarty Brains: High-IQ kids navigate notable neural shifts

Bruce Bower

The road to exceptional intelligence is paved with dramatic neural
alterations, a new brain-imaging study finds.

Critical parts of the brain's outer layer, or cortex, thicken more rapidly
during childhood and thin more drastically during adolescence in
individuals with extremely high IQ scores compared with peers of average or
moderately above-average intelligence, say neuroscientist Philip Shaw of
the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., and his colleagues.

The scientists propose that distinctive brain growth in superior-IQ youth
reflects prolonged development of neural circuits that contribute to
reasoning, planning, and other facets of analytical thinking.

"Cortical thickness at any one age tells you next to nothing about
intelligence," Shaw says. "What's important is that cortical development
occurs differently in extremely clever kids, possibly as a result of
particularly efficient sculpting of the brain." The report appears in the
March 30 Nature.

The researchers used a magnetic resonance imaging scanner to track brain
changes in 307 children and teenagers deemed free of psychiatric or
neurological disorders. Most volunteers submitted to two or more brain
scans at intervals averaging 2 years. Participants also completed a
verbal-and-nonverbal IQ test upon entering the study as children or teenagers.

Exploratorium Webcast: Memory Lectures: Dr. Robert Sapolsky

Exploratorium Webcast: Memory Lectures: Dr. Robert Sapolsky: "Dr. Robert Sapolsky - 'Stress and Memory: Forget It!'
Can stress make you forget? Dr. Robert Sapolsky will present an overview of the disruptive effects of stress on memory and brain aging. Dr. Sapolsky, Professor of Neuroscience at Stanford University, is a MacArthur Fellow and author of numerous articles and books.

This lecture will be moderated by Sedge Thompson, host of KALW FM's popular show West Coast Live. November 18th, 1998. Wednesday, 7PM PT



Requires the RealAudio Player."

Buddha machine: sonidos para meditar

De vez en cuando viene bien relajarse. Además mucho se habla de la música y los sonidos como modificadores del estado psíquico.

Buddha machine es un pequeño aparatito que está de moda y en el tamaño de una radio a pilas tiene 9 bandas de sonido de tipo ambient realizado por el grupo musical japonés FM3.

El sitio del grupo es http://www.fm3.com.cn/ y los sonidos están disponibles en MP3

Entrevista a uno de los creadores.

Simulación en flash

Me enteré por kk.org


Actualización 1/4/07: Usar www.archive.org para el sitio de los MP3.

Ahora, en la era de YouTube podemos ver la Buddha Machine en:

Problemas con Blogger

No sé qué pasa con el sistema del blog que no se ve la columna de la izquierda y se desordena todo. Ojalá Google cuidara más las cosas. Ideas?

Mentat Wiki

Mentat Wiki: Mentat Wiki

"This wiki is a collaborative environment for exploring ways to become a better thinker. Topics that can be explored here include MemoryTechniques, MentalMath, CriticalThinking, BrainStorming, ShorthandSystems, NotebookSystems, and SmartDrugs. Other relevant topics are also welcome. How have you made yourself smarter ?"

Cafe con chocolate

El otro día vi el programa Un Café Con Paul Bassett episodio 12 en Travel & Living de Discovery.

Entrevistaba al Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki quien hablaba de los efectos de la cafeína. Lo interesante es que decís que los efectos vasoconstrictores de la cafeína podían ser "neutralizados" si se tomaba el café junto con una pequeña porción de chocolate amargo.

Busqué en medline y parece haber algunas referencias sobre los efectos del chocolate sobre el endotelio y la vasodilatación, pero no sé si son muy significativos. No cuesta nada probar. Yo creo que se podía agregar cacao amargo en polvo al café si no se consigue chocolate amargo que es caro.

Karl Kruszelnicki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lo que dijo en el programa es similar a esto ,también mostró unos libros interesantes (sobre mitos del saber y otros, ver Wikipedia o su sitio):

The “Half Life”, T1/2, of a drug is the time taken for your body to metabolise, or break down, half the amount that you have in your blood stream. After another T1/2, the level of the drug in the blood stream has dropped to half of its previous level - or 25% of the original level. After the third half life, the drug is down to 12.5% of its peak level.

In humans, the caffeine half life, Caff-T1/2 varies from 3.5 to 100 hours - depending on what kind of human you are.

If you’re an adult, half the caffeine has gone from your system after 5-6 hours. But if a woman uses the oral contraceptive pill, her caffeine half life doubles to about 12 hours.

Pregnant women, have the same half life as your regular adult - until they get to about three months pregnant. Then from four to nine months, the Caff-T1/2 increases to about 10-18 hours. So for this pregnant woman, a little coffee goes a long way. But by one week after birth, the Caff-T1/2 is back down to around six hours.

Caffeine can leave the blood stream of the nursing mother, and go into her breast milk to the baby - and sometimes keep it awake, and inconsolable. The caffeine hangs around in the baby for a long time. The half life of caffeine in a premature or a new-born baby is around 100 hours. But the time the babies are 8 months old, they’re really good at getting rid of caffeine, and the Caff-T1/2 is down to four hours.

Smokers also have a very short Caff-T1/2 (3.5 hours), so they can also clear the caffeine out of their bodies rapidly. This might explain why smokers tend to drink more coffee than non-smokers. Also, when smokers give up tobacco, they become more sensitive to the effects of caffeine. They may need to cut down their coffee intake, when they give up smoking. (That’s a bit unfair - having to drop your intake of two drugs at the same time.)
http://www2.abc.net.au/science/k2/stn/december1999/posts/topic14651.shtm

Tomorrow's People conference, Oxford 2006

Tomorrow's People: The Challenges of Technologies for Life Extension and Enhancement

Es una conferencia y hay videos y foros, incluye nootrópicos:
Thursday 16 March 0845am   Discussion Board
Smarter?-webcast
Nick Bostrom (tiene sitio personal)
Danielle Turner
George Poste

Foro Smarter?

Ginkoba M/A: ginkgo biloba + ginseng

cache: Product Details - @StrictlyNatural.com: "A specific combination product containing 60 mg of Ginkgo biloba (GK501), standardized at 24% ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones, and 100 mg Panax ginseng (G115) standardized at 4% ginsenosides. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, 14-week trial, two dosing regimens of this combination product were tested in 256 healthy middle-aged volunteers. On each study day (weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16) the volunteers performed the Cognitive Drug Research computerized cognitive assessment system prior to morning dosing and again at 1, 3 and 6 hours later. The tests in the system assessed various aspects of attention and memory. On each study day the volunteers also completed questionnaires about mood states, quality of life and sleep quality. The ginkgo/ginseng combination (Ginkoba M/E) was found to significantly improve different aspects of memory, including working and long-term memory as measured by the Index of Memory Quality (an average of 7.5% improvement)."

Directions:
As a dietary supplement, take two capsule daily, one with breakfast and one with lunch.

Ingredients:
Ginkgo biloba extract GK501™ 60 mg (double standardized, to 24% ginkgo-flavone-glycosides and 6% terpene lactones) 60 mg per capsule
Standardized Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer extract G115™ 100 mg per capsule


Technorati tag:nootropic

The Impact of Emerging Technologies: Brain-Healing Nanotechnology - Technology Review

The Impact of Emerging Technologies: Brain-Healing Nanotechnology - Technology Review: "'We think this is the basis of reconstructive brain surgery -- which is something nobody has ever heard of before,' says Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, a researcher on the project and a brain and cognitive sciences researcher at MIT.

The treatment, described online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and performed at MIT, Hong Kong University, and Fourth Military Medical University in China, may be available to humans in trials in as little as three years if all goes well in large-animal studies, the researchers say.

In their experiments, the researchers first cut into a brain structure that conveys signals for vision, causing the small lab animals to be blinded in one eye. They then injected a clear fluid containing chains of amino acids into the damaged area. Once in the environment of the brain, these chains, called peptides, bind to one another, assembling into nano-scale fibers that bridge the gap left by the damage. The mesh of fibers prevents scar tissue from forming and may also encourage cell growth (the researchers are still investigating the mechanisms involved)."

Hack: Oxigeno y glucosa

Mind Performance Hacks
Overclock Your Brain
#72
Chapter 8, Mental Fitness | 285
HACK
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mindperfhks/chapter/hack72.pdf
[con comentarios]

...
Oxygen is used as part of glucose metabolism to provide brain cells with a number of important chemicals that allow them to support themselves and communicate with other neurons.

Mental performance relies on the functioning of the brain, and like with any
other organ, this performance is linked to how many resources are avail-
able. Research has shown that in some instances, mental performance is
rate-limited by the available glucose and oxygen. In other words, you can
increase the rate of mental processing by increasing the available fuel.
...
One of the most reliable findings is that increasing available glucose and
oxygen seems to have a beneficial effect on memory. Importantly, the effect
is usually found for memory encoding but not memory recall. [así que aumentar oxígeno y glucosa sirve para memorizar pero no para recordar, sin embargo debemos tener en cuenta que se recomienda hacer los exámenes en las mismas condiciones en que se estudió, por lo que debería cuidarse tener el mismo aporte]
...

Increasing glucose and oxygen supplies to the brain seems to allow informa-
tion to be committed more accurately and fully to memory; in other words,
you learn better. This means when you come to recall it at a later stage, you
will undoubtedly do better, because the information there is clearer and
more comprehensive. The reverse does not seem to be true, however. If you
first encoded something without the aid of extra oxygen and glucose, sud-
denly making more oxygen and glucose available when you try to recall it
will not improve your overall memory performance.

Boost oxygen levels. The improvement in oxygen levels on memory
typically lasts for a few minutes only (five is about the limit), so you need to
time your learning to happen shortly after an increase in oxygen, or ensure
that you maintain a slightly increased level for the duration of the learning
period. Oxygen canisters are available in some shops, although they are
often expensive and unwieldy. More usefully, deliberately taking some deep
breaths will increase blood oxygen levels for a short time, as will light exer-
cise. Going for a walk while listening to something you want to remember
on an MP3 player should do the trick, as long as the environment is not so
distracting that you cannot concentrate. [acá podría entrar la posibilidad de usar nootrópicos que favorecen el aporte de oxígeno al cerebro: vinpocetina, hydergina, nicergolina, gingko biloba, picamilon, posiblemente pirytinol y otros]

Optimize glucose supplies. Glucose has a much longer-term effect, as shown
in Figure 8-1.

Here the maximum available glucose peaks at about an hour,
although it rapidly becomes available after it has been ingested. All energy-
giving foods are broken down into glucose at some stage, although at differ-
ent rates. This graph charts the rate of pure glucose absorption, so it best
matches the effects of sugary drinks. [por lo tanto hay que tener en cuenta qué se toma y el momento, si se requiere un tiempo extendido de trabajo podría combinarse un carbohidrato de asimilación más rápida con uno más lento]

Glucose is important as a simple fuel, but it is also used in the creation of
the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This brain chemical is particularly linked
to memory, and it’s no accident that, like oxygen, extra glucose is linked to
an increase in memory and learning ability.

Again, timing is crucial, but not so much effort is needed to constantly maintain
glucose levels. A well-timed sugary drink, 30 minutes to an hour before you want
to remember or take notice of something particularly closely, should improve how
well you remember it.