The Nuance
Can You Think Yourself Healthy?
From mindfulness to media multitasking, the activities you ask your brain to perform matter to your health
Every week, the Nuance will go beyond the basics, offering a deep and researched look at the latest science and expert insights on a buzzed-about health topic.
Alzheimer’s is an incurable brain disease caused, in part, by the accumulation of destructive protein plaques and tangles. These plaques and tangles choke the life out of one brain region after another, causing them to shrivel up.
Drug companies and research institutions have poured hundreds of millions into the development of effective treatments for Alzheimer’s, but so far, they haven’t had much luck. “We have two classes of approved drugs that improve attention and memory a little bit, but they don’t slow the disease process,” says Dr. David Holtzman, professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “There’s really nothing you can buy—no pill or supplement—that will protect you.”
But some preliminary evidence does suggest that certain cognitive activities—notably, various methods of meditation—may forestall the onset of brain degradation and memory loss, or offer…
