#1 Nourish Your Noggin: Eat a Brain Healthy Diet

• Consumption of Fish and n-3 Fatty Acids and Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease. Archives of Neurology, Morris et al.
• Nutrition Information Center. American Federation for Aging Research
• Reduced Risk of Alzheimer Disease in Users of Antioxidant Vitamin Supplements. Archives of Neurology, Zandi et al.

#2 Use It or Lose It: Stay Mentally Active

• Action Video Game Modifies Visual Selective Attention. Nature, Green CS, Bavelier D
• Aging and Everyday Memory: The beneficial effect of memory training. Arch Gerontol Geriatr, Cavallini E, Pagnin A., and Vecchi T.
• Benefits of Cognitive-Motor Intervention in MCI and Mild to Moderate Alzheimer Disease. Neurology, Olzaran J, Muniz R, Reisberg B, et al.
• Effects of Cognitive Training Interventions with Older Adults. JAMA, Ball K, Berch DB, Helmers KF, et al.
• Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly. NEJM, Verghese et al.
• Memory Enhancement Training for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Preliminary Study. Aging Ment Health, Rapp S, Brenes G, Marsh AP
• More Hippocampal Neurons in Adult Mice Living in Enriched Environment. Nature, Kempermann et al.
• Morphology of Heschl’s Gyrus Reflects Enhanced Activation in the Auditory Cortex of Musicians. Nature Neuroscience. Schneider P, Scherg M, Dosch HG, Specht HJ, Gutschalk A, Rupp A
• Navigation-related Structural Change in the Hippocampi of Taxi Drivers. Proc Natl Acad Sci, Maguire EA, Gadian DG, Johnsrude IS
• Participation in Cognitively Stimulating Activities and Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease. JAMA, Wilson RS, Mendes de Leon CF, Barnes LL, et al.

#3 Work Out for Your Wits: Exercise and Keep Fit

• Aerobic Fitness Reduces Brain Tissue Loss in Aging Humans. Journal of Gerontology, Colcombe S, Erickson K., Raz N., et al.
• Constraint-induced Movement Therapy to Enhance Recovery After Stroke. Curr Artheroscler Rep., Taub E, Morris DM
• The Effects of Exercise Training on Elderly Persons with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Arch. Phys. Med Rehabil, Heyn et al.
• Exercise: A behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity. Trends Neurosci, Cotman CW & Berchtold NC
• Exercise Enhances Learning and Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Aged Mice. J. Neursci, van Praag et al.
• How to Keep Your Aging Brain Fit : Aerobics. Wall Street Journal, Sharon Begley
• Walking and Dementia in Physically Capable Elderly Men. JAMA, Abbott et al.

#4 Interact with Others: Stay Social

• The Effect of Social Networks on the Relation between Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology and Level of Cognitive Function in Old People: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. The Lancet Neurology, Bennett et al.
• Learning Ability in Aged Beagle Dogs is Preserved by Behavioral Enrichment and Dietary Fortification. Neurobiology of Aging, Milgram NW, Head E, Zicker SC, Ikeda-Douglas CJ, Murphey H, Muggenburg B, Siwak C, Tapp D, & Cotman CW

#5 Rest for Restoration: Get Plenty of Sleep

#6 Unwind for Your Mind: Manage Your Stress

• Hippocampal Damage Associated with Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure in Primates. Journal of Neuroscience, Sapolsky et al.
• Stress and Glucocorticoids Impair Retrieval of Long-Term Spatial Memory. Nature, de Quervain DJ, Roozendall B, & McGaugh JL

#7 Guard Your Gray Matter: Protect Your Head

• The Human Brain, The Franklin Institute Online

#8 Think Overall Health: Control Other Conditions

• Aggregation of Vascular Risk Factors and the Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease. Archives of Neurology, Luchsinger JA, Reitz C, Honig LS, Tang MX, Shea S, & Mayeux R
• Cognitive Decline and the Older Patient with Diabetes. Clinical Geriatrics, Mark Strachan
• Diabetes Mellitus and Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Decline in Cognitive Function. Archives of Neurology, Arvantiakis at al.
• Diabetes Mellitus and the Risk of Dementia, The Rotterdam Study. Archives of Neurology, Ott et al.
• Inflammatory Blockade Restores Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Science, Monje ML, Toda H, Palmer TD
• Midlife Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Risk of Dementia in Later Life. Archives of Neurology, Whitmer et al.
• Obesity in Middle Age and Future Risk of Dementia.BMJ, Whitmer et al.
• Obesity and Dementia: Life Course Evidence and Mechanisms.Aging Health. Whitmer et al.
• Relation of Cerebral Infarctions to Dementia and Cognitive Function in Older Persons. Archives of Neurology, Schneider et al.
• Stroke and the Risk of Alzheimer Disease, Archives of Neurology. Jonig et al.

#9 Give Your Brain a Break: Avoid Unhealthy Habits

• Effect of Smoking on Global Cognitive Function in Nondemented Elderly. Archives of Neurology, Ott et al.

#10 Understand Your Risk: Consider Your Genes

Additional Research

• Achieving and Maintaining Cognitive Vitality with Aging. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Fillitt et al.
• Aging with Grace: What the nun study teaches us about leading longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives. Bantam Books, Snowdon D
• Can New Neurons Replace Memories Lost? Sci Aging Knowledge Environ, Shors TH
• Clinical, Pathological, and Neurochemical Changes in Dementia: A subgroup with preserved mental status and numerous neocortical plaques. Ann Neurol, Katzman R, Terry R, DeTeresa R, Brown T, Davies P, Fuld P, Renbing X, Peck A.
• The Executive Brain: Frontal lobes and the civilized mind. Oxford, Goldberg E.
• Inside the Brain: New Research Prescribes Mental Exercise. American Society on Aging
• The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force. Regan Books/Harper Collins Pub., Schwartz J, Begley S
• Neurogenesis in Adult Mammals: Some progress and problems. J. Neurosci, Gould E, Gross CG
• Neurogenesis in the Adult Human Hippocampus. Nature Medicine, Eriksson PS, Perfilieva E, Bjork-Eriksson T, et al.
• Neurogenesis in the Neocortex of Adult Primates. Science, Gould E, Reeves AJ, Graziano MS, Gross CG
• Neuroplasticity: Changes in grey matter induced by training. Nature, Draganaski B, Gaser C, Busch V, Schuierer G, Bogdahn U, & May A.
• The NIH Cognitive and Emotional Health Project: Report of the Critical Evaluation Study Committee. Alzheimer’s and Dementia, Hendrie et al.
• The Nun Study
• Predictors of Cognitive Change in Older Persons: MacArthur studies of successful aging. Psychol Aging, Alberts MS, Jones K, Savage CR, et al.
• Successful Aging. Random House, Rowe J, Kahn R.