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The Real Happy Pill

Page 21

by Anders Hansen


  Rovio, S et al. (2005). Leisure-time physical activity at midlife and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Lancet Neurology.

  Sanchez, M et al. (2011). BDNF polymorphism predicts the rate of decline in skilled task performance and hippocampal volume in healthy individuals. Translational Psychiatry (2011) I, e51, DOI:10.1038/tp.2011.47.

  Tan, Q et al. (2016). Midlife and late-life cardiorespiratory fitness and brain volume changes in late adulthood: Results from the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging. Gerontol A Bio Sci Med Sci, DOI:10.1093/gerona/glv041.

  Wueve, J et al. (2004). Physical activity, including walking, and cognitive function in older women. JAMA, DOI:10.1001/jama.292.12.1454.

  9. A stone-age brain in the digital age

  Florio, M et al. (2015). Human specific ARHGAPIIB promotes basal progenitor amplification and neocortex expansion. Science, DOI:10.1126/science.aaa1975.

  Raichlen, D et al. (2011). Relation between exercise capacity and brain size in mammals. PLOS One, 6(6):e20601.

  Raichlen, D et al. (2013). Linking brains and brawn: exercise and the evolution of human neurobiology. Proc Biol Sci, DOI:10.1098/rspb.2012.2250.

  INDEX

  A

  ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), 63–65, 68, 69, 72, 73, 76–84

  ARHGAPIIB, 196

  abdominal fat, 49

  abstract thinking, 14, 167

  abuse, 10, 74

  accumbens nucleus, also nucleus accumbens, 65–68, 83

  adrenal glands, 24

  aggression, 42

  aging, brain’s, 119, 120, 179–180, 186

  the right prescription to apply the brakes on the brain’s aging, 189

  alcohol, 10, 34, 72, 74, 110, 119, 129, 141, 211, see also abuse

  Alzheimer’s Disease, 182–184

  Amish, the, 199

  amphetamine, 69, 100

  amygdala, 25–27, 31–33

  amygdala hijack, 47

  and anxiety, 52

  and fear, 42

  in teenagers, 41

  analytical ability, 14, 31

  anatomy of stress, 35

  antidepressant pharmaceuticals, 23, 91, 97, 101, 107, 136, see also SSRI

  side effects of, 99

  anxiety, 18, 22, 23, 26–27, 30–42, 49–57, 92, 100, see also stress

  Appetite, 49, 92, 93

  Ariaal tribe, 80–82

  artistic ability, 14, 149, 152

  Association area, 8

  associative memory, 140

  atomic weapons testing, 135

  attention, visual, 165

  auditory cortex, 8

  average life span, 204

  axon, 168

  B

  BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor), 101–108, 118, 120, 125, 127, 181, 197, 208

  Beethoven, Ludwig van, 147, 158

  belief in one’s own ability, 107

  blood fats, 185

  blood glucose, 185

  blood pressure, 28, 30, 48, 54, 185

  blue zones, 187–188

  Blumenthal, James, 95, 96, 98

  brain cell, 6–7, 9, 10, 13, 26, 34, 36, 55, 62, 65, 66, 68, 72, 94, 98, 100, 102, 106–108, 119, 121, 124–131, 135–138, 141, 208, 210

  and BDNF, 107

  creation of (neurogenesis), 134, 135, 137, 141

  the first, 195

  brain connections (pruning), 9

  brain GPS, 139

  brain, left side, 14, 169

  brain plasticity, 11–17

  and stress, 55

  brain programs, see functional network

  brainstorming, 148, 153

  brain, the

  aging of, 177–189

  damage to, 29, 43, 102

  and the memory, 128

  right side, 15

  size of, 6, 25

  brake pedal for the nervous system, see GAD and hippocampus

  BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine), 131, 134, 135

  C

  C-14, 135–136

  CAT scan, 12, 14, 90

  CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), 54

  CCK4 (Cholecystokinin tetrapeptid), 56

  Caenorhabditis elegans, 210

  calories, 169, 201–202

  expenditure, 170, 180

  carbon dioxide, 45–46

  cavities, see ventricle

  cerebellum, 118

  cerebral cortex, 33, 36, 70, 101, 118, 155, 168, 193–194, 196

  motor cortex, 8

  children and teenagers, the right prescription for, 175

  chocolate, plain, 141

  chronic stress, 32

  Chimpanzee, 194, 196

  cocaine, 100

  cognitive abilities, 2, 10, 83, 98, 142, 151, 169, 171, 180, 182, 184, 211

  cognitive functions, 5, 30–31, 74, 142, 178, 180, 193

  cognitive processing speed, 85

  cognitive training, 142, 174, 206

  computer game, test, 124–125, 142, 174

  concentration, 60–87

  the right prescription for, 87

  trouble with, 64

  and walking, 14

  connections, 6–7, 9–11

  connectivity, brain, 5, 10, 11

  consciousness, 8, 70–71, 154, 155

  convergent thinking, 148–149, 154

  corpus callosum (callosal commisure), 16

  cortex, cerebral cortex, 33, 36, 70, 101, 118, 155, 168, 193–194, 196

  cortisol, 24–30, 40, 49, 104, 128, 166

  and grueling races, 128

  Costa Rica, 187

  creativity test, (Alternative uses test), 148

  creativity, 146, 147–159

  the right prescription for, 159

  crossword, 142, 184, 185

  Crowe, Russell, 157

  curiosity, 109

  cynical, 41–42, 108, 109

  D

  DNA, 13, 121, 135–136

  DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging), 169

  DRD4, 80

  Darwin, Charles, 147

  death hormone, see cortisol

  dementia, 173, 182–188, see also aging, brain’s

  depression and wellbeing, 90–115

  antidepressants, 107

  and BDNF, 108

  neurogenesis, 134

  the right prescription for, 115

  Descartes, René, 70

  detail, memory, 14, 16

  Diazepam, 33

  din, inbuilt, 72

  divergent thinking, 148–149, 153, 156

  dopamine, 54, 66–68, 71–74, 76, 80, 87, 98, 100–101, 107–109, 113, 156, 158, 203

  Dorsey, Jack, 147

  dyspnea, 45, see also suffocation

  E

  Einstein, Albert, 6, 147, 157

  endocannabinoids, 112–114

  endogenous morphine, see endorphin

  endorphin, 54, 110, 111–114, 203

  energy consumption, the brain’s, 19

  enriched environment, 130, 138

  epilepsy, 173

  episodic memory, 140

  Eriksen-Flanker test, 61, 62

  Eriksson, Peter, 131, 134, 135

  estrogen, 104, 106

  euphoria, 109–114, see also runner’s high

  everyday activity, 169, 187

  evolution, 3, 24, 25, 200

  executive control, 5, 165–166, 175

  in children, 170

  F

  FDA (Food and Drug Administration), 94

  FMRI (Functional MRI), 213–214

  farmer, 80–81, 198–200

  fat, 113, 168

  burning, 49

  fat tissue and depression, 104

  saturated, and neurogenesis, 141

  storing, 49

  fear, 31, 42–46, 50, 53, 56, 57

  fight or flight, 24, 31, 47, 48, 54

  fitness and memory, 122

  fitness training

  and BDNF, 101–108, 118, 120, 125, 127, 181, 197, 208

  most beneficial, 208

  and stress, 55

&
nbsp; Fixx, James, 111

  Flanker test, 61–62

  flavonoids, 141

  Fluoxetin, 94

  free radicals, 102, 185

  frontal lobe, 4, 8, 10, 30–33, 35, 40, 46, 52, 61, 62, 74–76, 83, 140, 141, 154, 158, 170, 172, 179–180

  and ADHD, 76

  and aging, 179–180

  and concentration, 74, 76

  and stress, 30

  functional network, 7

  G

  GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid), 18, 34, 36, 40

  GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), 35

  Gage, Fred “Rusty”, 131, 135

  generalized anxiety, see GAD

  genetic factor

  and dementia, 184

  and depression, 106

  Genetic material, see DNA

  go all out, 143, 151

  Gogh, Vincent van, 157

  Goleman, Daniel, 47

  grades, 163–170

  gray matter, 168–169

  gyrus dentatus, 137

  H

  HPA-axis, 24–25, 30, 33, 49, 52, 53

  Hadza, the tribe, 199

  Hamburger, Viktor, 105

  HAROLD (Hemispheric symmetry reduction in older adults), 179

  hashish, 112

  heart rate, increased, 24, 25, 54–55

  and anxiety, 54–55

  and BDNF, 103

  and stress and anxiety, 57

  heart, the, 24, 37, 46, 54, 56, 103, 167, 175

  higher cognitive function, 30–31, see also frontal lobe

  hippocampus, 26–27, 29–32, 37, 40, 46, 52, 57, 101, 106, 107, 118–122, 125, 127, 130, 134–141, 143, 164, 169, 172, 179, 181, 185, 186

  Hippocrates, 205

  Hoffman, Dustin, 15

  Holyfield, Evander, 47

  Homo erectus, 192–193

  Homo sapiens, 193

  hormonal imbalance, 104

  horror movie, 46

  hunter-gatherer, 3, 198–202

  and ADHD, 80–81

  hypothalamus gland, 24

  and BDNF, 107

  and memory, 154

  and nanny neurons, 36–37

  and stress, 24

  I

  IQ, see intelligence

  inflammation, 104, 106, 185

  impulse control (response inhibition), 77

  impulse control, 64, 69, 75, 78–79, 178

  impulsivity, 41, 63, 64, 78–82

  information filtering, 154–155

  intelligence, 38, 39, 43, 171, 172, 192, 196, 197

  interval training, 208

  and anxiety, 57

  and BDNF, 103, 181

  Ironman, see marathon

  J

  Jay-Z, 94

  Jobs, Steve, 147

  K

  Kahneman, Daniel, 75

  Kotelko, Olga, 186–187

  kynurenine, 37

  L

  labor pains, 133

  language, 2, 9, 12, 164, 185, 199

  language center, 185

  Lazy, 201–202

  learning and BDNF, 102

  leptin, 113

  Levi-Montalcini, Rita, 105

  lifestyle, 2, 3, 11, 13, 41, 42, 78, 80, 83, 84, 131, 198, 200, 202, 204

  limbic system, 112

  linguistic part, 14

  logical reasoning, 172

  long term memory, 55, 121, 125, 128, 141

  low libido, 95

  Lucy, 192–193

  M

  MIST (Montreal Imaging Stress Test), 28, 30

  MRI, 3–4, 12, 52, 61, 119, 122, 131, 164, 167, 170, 186, 205, 206

  Mack, Michelle, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19

  marathon, 51, 129, 132, 133, 169, 177, 203

  marijuana, 112

  Marshmallow test, see Mischel

  mathematical thinking, 14, 74, 169, 172

  maximum capacity (heart rate), 56, 87

  melatonin, 70

  memory, 117–143

  and BDNF, 102

  episodic, 140

  and hippocampus, 26

  motor, 124

  negative, 53

  the right prescription for better memory, 143

  and weight training, 140

  working, 140, 165, 170, 175

  memory center, see hippocampus

  memory consolidation, 125

  memory, short-term, worsening, 27

  memory test, 122, 123, 164, 182

  mice, 4, 37, 105, 112, 118, 121, 128, 130, 131, 134, 196, 198

  mice, ultra-runner, 128

  military recruit testing, 172

  miracle substance, see BDNF

  Mischel, Walter, 74–76

  morphine, 109–112, 114

  motor cortex, 8, 184

  motor memory, 124

  Mozart, Amadeus, 152–154

  Murakami, Haruki, 146, 151, 154, 158

  muscles, 5, 28, 33, 37, 40, 113, 123, 151, 163, 171, 173

  mutation, 181

  myelin, 168

  N

  NGF (Nerve Growth Factor), 105

  nanny neurons, 36, 40

  Nash, John, 157

  Neanderthals, 193

  negative memories, 53

  nerve pathway, 35

  neurotic, 108, 109

  neurotic, personality, 102

  neurogenesis, 134, 135, 137, 141

  and depression, 138

  neuron, 126

  neuroplasticity, 11–17

  neurotransmitter, 66, 98, 109

  Newton, Isaac, 153–154

  nicotine, 100

  Nietzsche, Friedrich, 157

  noradrenalin, 87, 98, 100, 101, 107

  O

  obesity, see overweight

  occipital lobe, 4, 8

  Okinawa, 187

  opium, 109–110

  Oppezzo, Marily, 149

  orbitofrontal cortex, 214

  overweight, 104, 106

  and children, 164, 166–167

  and depression, 106

  Oxazepam, 34

  oxygen, lack of, 46

  P

  PET scan, 112

  PISA test, 162

  PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), 50

  painkiller, pain relief, 110

  pain, memories of, 133

  pain threshold, 114

  panic attack, 23, 25, 26, 31, 50, 53, 55

  and training, 56, 57

  parietal lobe, 8, 10, 61, 62

  pattern separation, 137–138

  Peek, Kim, 15–17

  personality, 74, 80, 82, 98, 108–109

  and BDNF, 102

  physical education, 162

  pineal gland, 70

  pituitary gland, 24

  Plato, 70

  play, 175

  and ADHD, 77

  point of failure, 123–124, 171

  positive-negative axis, 10–11

  prefrontal cortex, 31, 40, 74, 75, 112, 167, 178, 179, 194

  and running, 112

  protein-rich nutrition, 193

  prescription for the brain, the right, 208–211

  Prozac, 94–101

  pruning, see connectivity

  psychiatric disorder, 155

  R

  Ramón y Cajal, Santiago, 126

  Ratey, John, 108

  reading comprehension, 164, 165, 167, 170, 173, 175

  receptor, 68, 110, 112, 156

  reptilian brain, 35

  reward system, 65–72, 100

  roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans), 210

  Rohypnol, 34

  runner’s high, 109, 111–114

  running, 208

  and anxiety, 54

  to apply the brakes on the brain’s aging, 189

  and concentration, 87

  and depression, 115

  Russell, Bertrand, 157

  S

  SSRI (Selective Serotoning Reuptake Inhibitors), 94, 98

  Sardinia, 187

  Sagan, Carl, 193

  Schizophrenia, 155, 157

  sedentary, 79, 83, 85, 166, 16
7, 180, 184, 203, 204

  selective attention, 61–62

  Selective forgetfulness, 132

  self-confidence, 33, 41

  self efficacy, see belief in one’s own ability

  sensory information and dopamine, 71

  serotonin, 94, 98, 100, 101, 107, 109, 113, 203

  sex, 66, 100

  and neurogenesis, 141

  short term memory, 27, 55, 92, 125, 141

  sitting, 85, 169–170

  Sleep disturbance, trouble sleeping, 23, 95

  Småland, 187

  Social phobia, 50

  socialization, 65, 66, 69, 77, 108, 211

  spatial navigation, 27

  spider, 43–44, 46

  stress, 21–57

  anatomy of, 35

  and children, 170–171

  chronic, 27, 32

  and depression, 104

  fracture, 114

  hormone, see cortisol

  and muscles, 37–40

  relief from, 34

  stress system, see HPA-axis

  test, see MIST

  and weight training, 37

  stress and anxiety, the right prescription to rid yourself of, 57

  Stroop test, 178, 179

  suffocation, 46

  Sugar cravings, 49

  suicide, 93, 102, 173

  supplements, nutritional, 206

  survival, 25–26, 38–39, 66, 79, 138, 203

  synapse, 126

  System 2, 75

  T

  tarantula, 44

  teenage angst, 40–41

  temporal lobe, 4–5, 25, 43, 71, 119, 140

  tendril, see axon

  thalamus, 71, 154–158

  the right prescription

  to apply the brakes on the brain’s aging, 189

  for children and teenagers, 175

  to feel better overall, 115

  for improved concentration, 87

  for improved memory, 143

  to increase creativity, 159

  to rid yourself of stress and anxiety, 57

  Tyson, Mike, 47

  U

  UF (Uncinate Fasciculus), 35

  Ullén, Fredrik, 156

  ultra-runner mice, 128

  ultra running, 128

  Urbach-Wiethe disease, 43

  V

  Vasa Cross-Country Ski Competition, 206

  ventricle, 70

  Vinci, Leonardo da, 70

  visual attention, 165

  visual cortex, primary, 7, 140

  visuospatial orientation, 15, see also spatial navigation, brain GPS

  vocabulary comprehension, 172

  W

  walk, 5, 16, 205–206, 208

  to apply the brakes on the brain’s aging, 189

  weight

  and depression, 92

  and stress, 48

  weight training and memory, 140

  white matter, 168–169, 173

  against dementia, 182

  and memory, 120

  to prevent anxiety, 57

  Working memory, 140, 165, 170, 175

 

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