Active Minds

Our understanding of the human brain has exploded over the last couple decades, yet many misconceptions still exist. Test your knowledge with the following true/false quiz. Answers are at the end.The human brain does not grow new brain cells or change its structure at a cellular level.Use it or lose it is an accurate phrase for our brain.Video games are bad for your brain.Younger brains generally work faster than older brains.Exercising your brain can lower the likelihood of getting Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.The best exercise for your brain is to frequently review information you recently learned.Our brain fate is determined by our genes.The brain follows a predictable trajectory of cognitive decline as we age.Medication provides the best hope for preserving or enhancing brain functioning.Under the right circumstances, the brain can recover many apparent age-related losses.Answers:False. All healthy brains grow new brain cells regardless of age and we continually alter the structure of our brain through a process known as neuroplasticity.True. Lack of cognitive challenge predicts cognitive decline.False. While some video games are undoubtedly of little or no benefit, most video games are challenging and get more difficult as the player gets better. This continuous challenge stimulates the brain in beneficial ways. True. It is true that as brains age processing speed slows down. This does not, however, mean that older brains cannot perform as well as younger brains. In one study, one-third of older brains functioned as well as, and in some cases better than, younger brains.True. Research has demonstrated that individuals who regularly engage in cognitively challenging activities have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.False. The best exercise for your brain is new challenges. The key is that it is different and difficult. This stimulates a brain chemical called acetylcholine which is important in growing new brain cells.False. While genes are certainly important factors in brain performance and health, our brains are significantly influenced over our lifetime by a variety of other factors including mental and physical exercise, nutrition, stress, sleep, and other factors.False. There is nothing inherently fixed about the path brain functioning takes as we age.False. A variety of non-medicinal interventions have been shown to be more effective than medication.True. A variety of techniques have been successfully used to positively impact a wide variety of age-related mental losses.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Zane Robertson who is President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and has served on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in most Denver senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 3033207652 or visit www.activeminds.com. Copyright 2012 Active Minds. All rights reserved.

When you think of activities for seniors at senior centers or retirement communities, what comes to mind? Perhaps musical performers, arts and crafts, a slide show of someone's trip to China, movies, birthday celebrations, and, of course, Bingo. I once played twelve Bingo cards simultaneously and had a wonderful (if not relaxing) time. I adore travel to foreign countries and a good movie is always a special treat. I also enjoy live music and I think birthday parties are great fun (as long as they're not mine).Each one of these activities, however, has one thing in common: they are pastimes enjoyable ways to pass the time. They are an essential part of life and living well, but and here's the catch they are not enough! What's often missing in this menu is meaningful engagement of the mind! Its like dining on a meal of cake and ice cream. It tastes good, but it doesn't really nourish you. The key to rounding out this menu is lifelong learning and other mentally challenging activities.Fortunately, senior activities providers are responding to this need. More and more, communities are providing programming designed to challenge, stretch and excite the mind. Bingo is being supplemented with classes ranging from the History of the Lewis & Clark Expedition to Fracking and The Future of Syria. Seniors are studying poetry, art, music, literature and more and they are loving it!Why is this happening? One reason is simply demand. Seniors want to continue learning for the joy that it provides. A second reason is a growing realization that lifelong learning is a central part of aging well. Stretching your mind and learning new things keeps you engaged in the world and adds meaning and purpose to your life. And doing this as part of a class or seminar adds a social component that is a proven antidote for depression. Scientists have also shown that those who participate in mentally challenging activities at least once a week have a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer's and other brain related diseases.What this all adds up to is a compelling national trend. In the words of one expert, this phenomenon is exploding and is only going to accelerate as the baby boomers continue retiring in staggering numbers. Most retirement communities have already responded by adding educational programming and many have expanded their mission to include providing for the mental needs of residents. So, lets play Bingo and lets learn about the beliefs of the Islamic faith, or how the Supreme Court works, or ponder Cuba after Castro, or The world is your oyster. Enjoy!Zane Robertson is the President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and served on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in many of Denver's finest senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 3033207652 or visit www.activeminds.com. Copyright 2014 Active Minds. All rights reserved.

Whether you've been a teacher or a student, the typical pattern of classroom education is familiar: The instructor shares the material and the students listen and learn. The information flows primarily one way. Occasionally, however, under just the right circumstances, a wonderful reversal can occur in which the student becomes the teacher by sharing a moment in their own life that has been reawakened by the topic. These snapshots of personal history can take your breath away. Here are a few of our favorites.For several years, Active Minds has taught a class on the history of the game of baseball. It runs the gamut from Abner Doubleday to Barry Bonds and tells several good stories in between. On a crisp fall day, with the Colorado Rockies in the hunt for post-season play, the instructor was winding up this topic when he noticed one of the attendees seemed to have something to share. With a little encouragement she began, When I was a young girl, I worked as a waitress in a diner in Baltimore. One afternoon, the other waitresses stopped me in the kitchen and asked, Do you know who you're waiting on? I didn't know, so they told me. I served Babe Ruth. And he tipped two dimes and a nickel.One evening, we were providing a class in a retirement community on the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. A gentleman toward the front of the room raised his hand, accompanied by a quick buzz of hushed comments in the back of the room. When the instructor paused to call on him, he began his comment with, Well, when I was working with Oppenheimer on the Manhattan projectAnother afternoon we were presenting a program on the G.I. Bill. A gentleman volunteered that he had been the Captain of the USS New Jersey in World War II. When pressed to tell a story, he at first demurred, then commented, Well, our first voyage out of dry dock, we sank three submarines. The person on his left, mouth open, responded incredulously, You sank three German subs??? To which he replied, with a wry smile, Well, I sure hope they were German!Whether you want to listen, comment, question, or share, lifelong learning programs have much to offer and maybe so do you!Zane Robertson is the President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and serves on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in most Denver senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 3033207652 or visit www.ActiveMindsForLife.com. Copyright 2009-2010 Active Minds. All rights reserved.

Our understanding of the human brain has advanced more in the last two decades than in the prior two centuries and most of the news is really good! And given all the information that has become available in recent years regarding Alzheimer's disease and dementia, its time for some good news! Scientists are discovering new things about the human brain every day and this is changing the way people view healthy aging.The old belief was that aging was a long, slow process of ever declining mental functioning. While there is some truth to this beyond middle age, most scientists now believe in a more complex view of brain aging. Recent studies have demonstrated that older brains actually become more adaptive. Tasks that younger brains accomplish with one part of the brain are often accomplished by several parts of the older brain. In addition, the brain is much more flexible than previously thought and is constantly rewiring its functioning in based on what we do and how we think. This is called neuroplasticity. Studies have proven that our brain continues to adapt, evolve, and even grow new neurons and pathways our entire life, something that has been thought impossible in the past.Older brains are often less nimble, making it harder to switch tasks, make quick decisions or assimilate complex information, but they outperform many younger brains in tasks that require a higher degree of integrated thinking this is the wisdom that makes older brains comparatively better for activities such as coaching, editing, or practicing medicine. Overall, the ability to index and manage information and extract meaning increases with age. Scientists believe this may be the result of more complex pathways built up over years of collecting information.This ongoing growth and change in the brain turns out to be good for it. Those who engaged in regular cognitive activities (such as attending educational seminars, discussion groups or learning a new language) had higher levels of brain functioning and lower rates of Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. The brain is a muscle like any other and benefits from regular exercise. As the saying goes, use it or lose it!So, don't accept the notion that aging brings an unavoidable mental decline. It doesn't have to be that way. Find something you enjoy that is mentally challenging and make it a regular part of your life. Your brain will thank you for it!Editors Note : This article was written by Zane Robertson, President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and served on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in many of Denver's finest senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 3033207652 or visit www.activeminds.com. Copyright 2015 Active Minds. All rights reserved.

Under optimal environmental conditions, almost every physical aspect of the brain can recover from age-related losses. --Neuroscientist Michael MerzenichNot long ago the majority of neuroscientists believed that the number of brain cells in a human brain was fixed and that there was nothing we could do to grow new ones or alter the circuitry of our brains. In recent times, this view of the brain has been completely well, turned on its head. We now know that we all can grow new brain cells by engaging in moderate physical exercise for as little as 40 minutes three times per week (walking is fine). We've also learned that the brain has a profound ability to rewire itself, a concept known as neuroplasticity.Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to develop and strengthen new neural pathways at a cellular level. Whenever we attempt to do something with our minds that is new or difficult, a chemical is activated in the brain called acetylcholine. This is the brains pay attention! chemical and it is associated with neuroplasticity and improved cognitive functioning.Concert violinists spend years learning to master difficult finger positions. As a consequence, the regions of their brain that control these movements are several times larger than those of non-violinists. That's neuroplasticity.A great analogy, especially here in Colorado, is a snow covered mountain slope that has sled tracks worn from many trips down the hill. If you take your sled to the top, chances are you will follow the grooves of your previous trips down unless you use great effort to lurch your sled onto a new path. On subsequent rides, however, this new pathway becomes easier and easier for you to select. You have built a new pathway. Your brain works much the same way.To build new pathways, the key is to select things that are new and difficult. Learn to play a musical instrument or study a foreign language. Drive home a different way or attend a lecture on a topic you know little about. All of these are excellent ways to exercise your brain.Exercising your brain increases it strength, a concept scientists call cognitive reserve. This can provide a buffer against diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. One study found a 33% lower likelihood of Alzheimer's disease among those who engaged in as little as one additional cognitive activity per week!And the best part of learning new things is fun!Zane Robertson is the President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and has served on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in most Denver senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 3033207652 or visit www.ActiveMindsForLife.com. Copyright 2011 Active Minds. All rights reserved.

I'm often asked, What is the difference between Lifelong Learning and Education as we typically think of it? Obviously, the similarities are many, but behind this question is usually an important distinction between the way many of us were taught and the way we want to learn.Generally speaking, when we think of Adult Education we are referring to formal post-secondary schooling college, graduate school, and the like. Pause for a moment and think about what associations you have with this experience. If you're like many of us, your thoughts may include things like homework, grades, writing papers, taking tests, memorizing information, mastering skills, and working hard so you could get a good job. That's the experience most of us had. We may or may not have enjoyed it, but for most people it was a means to an end.Now, lets contrast this with the concept of Lifelong Learning, which, by definition, is about learning for the pure love of learning. Gone are the pressures to perform and be evaluated. Instead, we are able to engage with topics because we are curious and enjoy the journey of exploration and discovery. Because no one is getting a grade or a degree, the content of lifelong learning programs can be less about facts and figures and more about making great stories come alive. The story of the Civil War, for example, can be transformed from an experience of memorizing dates, names, and battles to learning about the people and issues that contributed to this pivotal conflict in our nations history.The key here is to not let your preconceived notions of Adult Education keep you from engaging in Lifelong Learning. Recognize that the tables have turned. This time around the experience is not determined by an academic institution, but by you! You are free to engage in learning on your terms, follow your interests, and leave the rest. My guess is that if you do this, you may find the experience very different from your memories of school.An analogy that seems to fit is the goal of physical fitness. Traditional Adult Education can sometimes be like going to the gym to work out. Good for you, but perhaps not the most fun. Lifelong learning, however, is like going for a mountain hike on a spring day. Full of beauty and joy, combined with the benefits of physical exercise.See you on the hiking trails!Editors Note: This article was written and submitted by Zane Robertson.Zane Robertson is the President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and has served on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in most Denver senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 3033207652 or by email at zane@activeminds.comCopyright 2013 Active Minds. All rights reserved.

Walk into any senior center, retirement community or assisted living facility and you will undoubtedly find a full offering of activities for seniors. Typical options include musical performers, arts and crafts, a slide show of Alaska's wilderness, movies, birthday celebrations, and, of course, Bingo. I once played twelve Bingo cards simultaneously and had a wonderful (if not relaxing) time. I adore the beauty of Alaska's wilderness and a good movie is always a special treat. I enjoy live music and I think birthday parties are great fun (as long as they're not mine). Each one of these activities, however, has one thing in common: they are past times enjoyable ways to pass the time. They are an essential part of life and living well, but and here's the catch they are not enough! What's often missing in this menu is meaningful engagement of the mind! Its like dining on a meal of cake and ice cream. It tastes good, but it doesn't really nourish you. The key to rounding out this menu is lifelong learning and other mentally challenging activities. Fortunately, senior activities providers are responding to this need. More and more, communities are providing programming designed to challenge, stretch and excite the mind. Bingo is being supplemented with classes ranging from the History of the Lewis & Clark Expedition to Bio-Engineered Food and The Future of the Middle East. Seniors are studying poetry, art, music, literature and more and they are loving it!Why is this happening? One reason is simply demand. Seniors want to continue learning for the joy that it provides. A second reason is a growing realization that lifelong learning is a central part of aging well. Stretching your mind and learning new things keeps you engaged in the world and adds meaning and purpose to your life. And doing this as part of a class or seminar adds a social component that is a proven antidote for depression. Scientists have also shown that those who participate in mentally challenging activities at least once a week have a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer's and other brain related diseases.What this all adds up to is a compelling national trend. In the words of one expert, this phenomenon is exploding and is only going to accelerate as the baby boomers begin retiring in staggering numbers. Most retirement communities have already responded by adding educational programming and many have expanded their mission to include providing for the mental needs of residents. So, lets play Bingo and lets learn about the beliefs of the Islamic faith, or how the Supreme Court works, or ponder Cuba after Castro, or The world is your oyster. Enjoy!Zane Robertson is the President of Active Minds, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and serves on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in many of Denver's finest senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 303-320-7652 or visit www.ActiveMindsForLife.com. Copyright 2007-2008 Active Minds. All rights reserved.