If you find yourself sometimes struggling to remember things as you grow older, there may be a new, non-invasive treatment available soon. Targetted brain stimulation is a relatively new area of study that’s showing impressive results.

Brain stimulation could be the answer

Researchers at Northwestern Medical School found that stimulating the area of the brain that communicates with the hippocampus dramatically improves the memory of older people who suffer from age-related memory loss.

“Older people’s memory got better up to the level that we could no longer tell them apart from younger people”, said lead investigator Joel Voss, associate professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine.

Nearly everyone experiences some sort of memory loss as they age. Specifically, older adults have trouble linking two unrelated things together into a memory. Examples of this are new contacts’ names, where they left keys or why they went upstairs (we’ve all been there!). This is thought to be because the hippocampus atrophies as we age.

The Study into Brain Stimulation

Studies carried out by Northwestern University School of Medicine involved 16 people, aged between 64 and 80 years old. The study group complained of normal age-related memory problems.

Initially, the test group and a group of younger adults took memory tasks that focussed on relations between paired things. The younger group scored 55 percent and the older adults scored 40 percent.

Researchers used fMRI (functional MRI) to view the hippocampus and noted the activity levels. They then targetted an area of the parietal lobe that communicates with the hippocampus and delivered stimulus as it isn’t possible to target the hippocampus directly with the non-invasive treatment. This is because it is too deep within the brain for magnetic fields to reach.

Participants in the study received 20 minutes of high-frequency repetitive magnetic brain stimulation for five consecutive days.

The Results

After the treatment, the research team used fMRI to view the hippocampus again. They found it was more active than prior to the brain stimulation. They also gave participants another memory test, similar to the one taken prior to the treatment. After the brain stimulation, the older group of adults scored the same percentage as the younger group.

Incredibly, the results were also validated using a test group who received fake stimulation. This group showed no improvements in the memory test and no notable changes on the fMRI. This effectively rules out a placebo effect.

Joel Voss commented that he is unsure how long the improvements will last after the magnetic brain stimulation. He suggested that the results may last longer with more magnetic brain stimulation applied and notes when depression is treated with TMS for five weeks, the results last for many months.

The Future for Brain Stimulation

He plans to test the process on adults with mild cognitive impairment, the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. A breakthrough in this area would be life-changing for millions of people around the world. The World Health Organisation predicts Alzheimer’s could affect more than 115.4 million people by 2050 and this is triple the amount who currently suffer from the condition. With the world poised on the brink of this crisis, studies into magnetic brain stimulation are hugely welcome.

The study appears in the journal, ‘Neurology’.

Source: Northwestern University

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Our brains are amazing!  We’ve known this for many years.  However, recent research by neuroscientists leading this field suggests that our plastic brain continues to change and adapt throughout our lifetime.

Brain structure and function is incredibly dynamic.  In early years, there are obvious changes, thought to be caused by both genetic predisposition and environmental factors.  Now, studies show that the plastic brain is continually redesigning itself as our circumstances and needs change.  Let’s look at three of the most recent examples of such discoveries.

Social Anxiety Disorders – The Plastic Brain Fixed by Therapy

These days it seems that more and more of us suffer from uncomfortable anxiety when presented with social situations.  This is especially the case when we are placed under pressure, perhaps doing a presentation at work, meeting new people or  speaking publicly.

Social anxiety can cause the sufferer intense distress.  Sometimes this distress can become debilitating.  Excessive sweating, shallow breathing or hyperventilating and a racing heartbeat are all symptoms of anxiety, as are feelings of nervousness or paranoia.

It’s thought that around one in ten people are affected by social anxiety to some degree at some point in their lives, and these figures seem to be increasing.  Social anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the sufferer’s fears and anxieties begin to significantly impair their everyday life and cause considerable suffering.

Through improvements in diagnostic imaging techniques, it’s been found that the regulation of anxiety by frontal and lateral brain areas is impaired in sufferers.  Treatments which restore the balance between cortical and subcortical brain areas, regulating the emotions, reduce the levels of anxiety experienced.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the central therapy for social anxiety disorder.

Studies conducted at the Centre for Depression, Anxiety Disorders and Psychotherapy at The University Hospital of Psychiatry in Zurich, used a ten-week course of CBT.  Patients’ brains were examined using MRI both before and after therapy.

Head physician, Annette Bruhl says, “We were able to show that structural changes occur in brain areas linked to self control and emotion regulation.  Psychotherapy normalizes brain changes associated with social anxiety disorder.”

The research group demonstrated that the CBT caused these changes to take place.  They also found that the areas of the brain associated with processing the emotions were more physically interconnected after successful treatment.

Once the structure of the sufferer’s brain changed, the symptoms diminished.

Astronauts’ Brains Found to Change Shape During Space Missions

A new study using MRI scans has revealed that an astronaut’s brain actually changes shape whilst they are in space.

These changes specifically affect grey matter of the brain in regions known to control movements of the legs.  They reflect how the plastic brain adapts to moving in microgravity conditions.

The study, by the University of Michigan, found that grey matter increases and decreases occurred during time in space.  The extent of the changes is dependent on the length of time spent in space in microgravity conditions.  12 astronauts who had been shuttle crew members for two weeks and 14 who spent six months onboard the International Space Station were involved in the tests.  All were found to be affected similarly by the observed changes.

Rachael Seidler, University of Michegan’s professor of Kinesiology and Psychology says, “We found large regions of grey matter volume decreased, which could be related to redistribution of cerebrospinal fluid in space.  Gravity is not available to pull fluids down in the body, resulting in so-called puffy face in space.  This may result in a shift of the brain position or compression.”

The changes in the brain structure that researchers discovered were similar to those in someone practising and learning a new skill – such as a musical instrument or language.

These discoveries could indicate that new connections between neurons are being created to deal with new sets of information.

The implications of this new knowledge could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment and management of conditions that require or cause long periods of inactivity, decreased mobility and bed rest.  Conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus, in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain, could also benefit from these discoveries.

How Music Affects Our Plastic Brain

It’s long been known that listening to music causes emotional changes to occur.  If you are feeling down, an uplifting track can improve your mood.  Similarly, some downbeat music can make the listener feel morose and self-reflective in a negative way.

Music has been used for thousands of years as a way of changing and affecting our emotions.  From primitive times, we’ve instinctively understood that even listening to something as simple as the repetitive rhythm of a beaten drum can cause changes in conscious perception.  Now, advances in neuroscience, particularly imaging techniques, have enabled these changes to be observed and quantified.

Studies in the 1990s demonstrated that babies benefit from listening to music, especially classical music, in early life and even in the womb.  This is known as the Mozart Effect.  Further scientific observations show benefits from learning to play an instrument, similar to those experienced when learning a new language.  Imaging techniques allow us to see the physical impact of these changes on the plastic brain.

Musicians are now known to have different brains to those who are not as involved in listening to, learning and playing music.  Their brains are noticeably more symmetrical; the areas of their brains that control motor movement, auditory processing and spatial co-ordination are larger and more developed.  They also typically have a larger corpus callosum.  The corpus callosum is the bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain together.

It has been proved that listening to music reduces the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body, increases the ‘feel good’ hormone, dopamine, and stimulates production of oxytocin.  Oxytocin helps us to trust other people and to bond with each other.

An active involvement in music is now known to protect against degenerative memory loss, and help with conditions such as autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, emotional trauma and various mental disorders including anxiety and depression.

Whatever your age, music can bring benefits to your life by causing physiological changes to your plastic brain and the chemicals that control your moods and perception of life.

The brain used to be considered as an organ that matures in early adulthood and remains static in structure until degeneration caused by advanced ageing.  However, exciting neuroscience developments are now showing us that this is far from the case.  Our plastic brain actually changes, adapts and develops throughout our lives depending on our experiences.  What we do changes how our brain is built, works and acts.  This knowledge is leading the way in identifying methods of improving our quality of life in times to come.

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Alfred Binet lived in France around the turn of the last century. He became fascinated by individual children’s capacity to learn new skills and information, thus affecting their achievements and overall performance at school. He became convinced that there must be a method of measuring intellectual capacity.

He observed how children’s performance is affected not only by their inherent intelligence but also by their circumstances. For example, some children are intelligent but find learning difficult due to issues such as their families being financially poor and not being able to afford books and other learning resources at home

Binet admitted that some children fail to thrive in the educational environment due to low intelligence but also believed that others experience difficulties due to their life circumstances. He became convinced that a distinction should be made between these two kinds of underachievers.

His observations and subsequent conclusions led to a new idea to enable the measuring of intellectual capacity. Binet called this new idea Intelligence Quotient, or IQ for short. In his theory, Binet suggested that everyone is born with their own inherent IQ which then dictates their ability to learn and achieve objectives throughout life.

The IQ Equation

Binet’s research developed a method of testing an individual’s IQ. Firstly, Binet identified that we need to know two things – a person’s chronological age and also their mental age.

Mental age is determined by researching what people of a certain age are able to do and identifying an average. Binet researched a group of children concerning their cognitive skills, ability to solve problems and think creatively. After testing hundreds of children against the same criteria, he was able to accurately score mental age.

Now, Binet had two sets of data available – chronological age and mental age. He suggested that, if your mental age is higher than your chronological age, you score as having higher intelligence. If your mental age is lower than your chronological age, you score as having lower intelligence. Binet created an equation that provides a person’s IQ score, as follows: mental age/chronological age x 100 = IQ.

Using this simple equation, it’s easy to see that a score of 100 equals average intelligence. A score below 100 equals lower intelligence and a score higher than 100 equals higher intelligence.

Modern IQ tests are developed so the scale of results is arranged to provide 95% of scores spread out across a range of 70 – 130, with 66% falling within the 85 – 115 range. When you take such a test, you’re not being ranked against the test, you’re being ranked against the other test-takers.

IQ tests today measure various areas, including spatial ability, mathematical ability, language ability and memory skills. In general though, aren’t people better or worse in various areas of intelligence? For example, someone who is musically or artistically gifted may be really bad at mathematics? Or, someone who excels in scientific theorising may lack the linguistic skills necessary to communicate effectively?

The IQ test is an imperfect method of measuring intellectual capacity. It only measures certain aspects of a person’s ability. Also, it measures a person’s ability to understand ideas, not the quantity of a person’s knowledge. Therefore, the theory states that no matter how much knowledge you study or acquire, your IQ score should remain the same. Many critics argue that IQ scoring is redundant as it fails to measure creativity, social skills, wisdom or acquired skills.

What’s the Best Way of Measuring Intellectual Capacity?

In 2016, according to The Telegraph newspaper, a quarter of A-level exam papers were expected to be awarded an A grade. This reflects concerns that exams are no longer a suitable or accurate way of measuring intellectual capacity. Some people are really good at memorising information, making them really good at the act of taking exams. Some people simply don’t perform well under exam conditions, for a wide variety of reasons.

Many researchers now believe that intelligence should not be viewed as a singular entity. Rather there should be a system of multiple intelligence testing in place to measure intellectual capacity. This is in line with the research of Howard Gardner, who introduced the theory of seven intelligences in the early 90s. Gardner believed there were multiple intelligences, such as mathematical, linguistic, musical, kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal. He said that these intelligences work together and that every individual is on a spectrum of these abilities.

Modern thinking is that we are all very unique in our skills and aptitudes. Whilst the IQ test still has its place in determining a young person’s potential for intellectual uptake, intelligence itself is a far more multi-faceted entity. Exams are now an outdated method of measuring intellectual capacity as they aren’t a true reflection of a person’s skills and knowledge – they are more a reflection of that person’s ability to take exams. Today, measuring intellectual capacity should be tailored to the individual’s inherent predispositions.

Take a look at Illumine Training’s Learn, Absorb & Understand courses

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What is memory?

According to the Science Museum your memory is your brain’s filing system, which is a useful way of explaining what your memory does. A vast amount of information is stored away in the memory every second of every day, from the day we are born. Some things are stored in the short term memory and are things which are probably referred to only once, like a phone number or name of a person we have met only once. Other memories are retained sometimes for many years, or for all our lives, even if we never need them.

Memory is important because it makes up the essence of who we are. Memories built up over a lifetime all go to make up our personalities and our characters. Whether you appear to possess a good memory or a poor memory can be a factor in influencing how others see you and in how they assess your character. We are all familiar with the term ‘scatter brain’. This is normally applied to a person who appears to have trouble in remembering facts, or who frequently forgets to do things, or who never turns up for appointments because they forgot all about them. A scatter brain may be delightfully dotty in a much-loved grandma, but it is not exactly a compliment when associated with a business person. Conversely, a person who is blessed with a sharp memory is considered to be of higher intelligence and someone who can be relied on.

Advantages in business

It cannot be emphasised enough the advantage that having a good memory is and many people who have reached the top of their field and made a success of their business can partly attribute their success to their sharp memory. At a very basic level, a good memory prevents us from forgetting important dates, facts and deadlines. At one end of the scale, the employee who fails to hand in a work project will surely earn nothing more than the wrath of the boss when they explain that they simply ‘forgot to do it’. At the other end, a manager who fails to implement a new system because they forgot to attend a meeting or simply couldn’t remember how to do it, will never be seen in a good light. Think also of the business person who can’t remember the names of clients or business associates. This can be very embarrassing at the least and even bad for business.

Train your mind with memory training

Learning new things and exercising the brain can improve memory and great things can be achieved by embarking on Mind Mapping Training or Fast Reading and Super Memory courses proving that a better memory can lead to better business success.

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Slow reading

The idea behind slow reading is to recapture the kind of in-depth reading of years gone by. Back in the nineteenth century books were weighty tomes, with long descriptive passages to set the scene – essential in the days before colour photography, television and widespread travel. Think of Dickens, think of Thackeray, think of War and Peace. All these great works were aimed at an audience with spare hours to fill on long winter evenings. Since books were expensive – and since an initial ‘read’ couldn’t absorb all the detail — re-reading books was commonplace.

Today, slow reading is designed to recapture the spirit of that bygone time. The Slow Book Movement began in the USA in 2009. Founded by the novelist Alexander Olchowski, it aims to encourage people to slow down to read books. It is part of the wider Slow Movement – a reaction against the increasing speed of modern society – which was set out in Carl Honoré’s 2004 book In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement is Changing the Cult of Speed.

Is slow reading best?

There is a lack of research evidence to show that reading more slowly helps in reading comprehension. In fact, studies tend to show a connection between reading very slowly, and lack of fluency and understanding. In children, very slow reading has even been seen as a predictor of dyslexia.

Horses for courses

Nowadays there are still plenty of lengthy books being written. (The Harry Potter series comes to mind, with each successive book becoming longer and longer!) But for most of us, the need to deal with mountains of written material – both online and in printed form —  makes ‘slow reading’ an impossibility, certainly in the workplace.

It seems to me that there is no real argument about which is best. It’s a case of ‘horses for courses’, ie choosing the right tool for the task. Slow reading is ideal for savouring the prose of a novel and reflecting on how its characters develop; whereas in our fast-paced world, modern speed reading training can give us the skills we need to absorb written material rapidly, effectively and efficiently.

Illumine’s course in Effective Speed Reading™ provides skills and techniques to increase your reading speed while actually improving comprehension and retention of material.  (This course features the unique INSEAK® approach to reading, exclusive to Illumine.) Our Fast Reading and Super Memory course uses Mind Mapping to enable you to read faster and remember more.

Find out more about Illumine Training’s Speed Reading courses here

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An effective tool for your business

Most of us have heard of the term Mind Mapping, and many of us will have attended training days where a Mind Map® has been used as a visual aid. Yet there is far more to the concept of Mind Mapping than just a diagram in a PowerPoint presentation. It has been described as one of the most effective new tools ever created in helping to clarify ideas, to work collaboratively and to stimulate creativity.

What is Mind Mapping?

Mind Mapping – also known as concept mapping – is a visual method for representing ideas. A Mind Map® is sometimes referred to as like a spider diagram, with a concept or idea in the centre, and the ‘legs’ of the spider extending outwards from the centre.

The advantage of this kind of representation is that instead of the usual logical, step by step approach to problems, the use of a Mind Map® is more open. Thoughts and ideas can be added as they come to mind, instead of having to follow a rigid pattern. This flexibility encourages thinking ‘outside the box’, and can be particularly helpful in collaborative working and brainstorming, where it’s important to collect as many ideas and viewpoints as possible.

Tony Buzan and Mind Mapping

Spider diagrams are nothing new. In fact they have been traced back to as early as the 3^rd century AD, when the teacher Porphyry of Tyros used them to explain the philosophical concepts of Aristotle.

The widespread use of Mind Maps® over the past forty years is largely owing to the work of Tony Buzan. Described as “one of the most influential leaders in the field of thinking creatively”, Tony Buzan is a best-selling author and educationist whose career has been devoted to the study of the mind and thinking. His book ‘Mind Maps for Business’ reached the top 5 of the Amazon Business Chart.

He originated the term Mind Map® during a 1974 BBC TV series called ‘Use Your Head’. Buzan’s Mind Maps® are colourful, tree-like structures. They have captured the imagination of generations, and have popularised the use of Mind Maps® both in business and in education.

A Mind Map® could be regarded as the Ultimate Thinking Tool to Revolutionise How You Work.

If you would like to explore how Mind Mapping works and what it can do for your organisation, Illumine offers Mind Mapping training courses aimed at business and at education.

How to make a Mind Map

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Exercise the body, exercise the brain.  It’s well known that increasing the health of the body also increases the health of the brain.  Increasing your physical fitness will mean that oxygen can reach the brain more easily, and, as a result, it will perform more efficiently.  Also ensure that you get sufficient sleep – a sleep-deprived brain isn’t one that operates at full capacity.  A course of exercise will become a memory course as well!

Laugh.  ‘Laughing your head off’ is great fun, and now you’ve got one more reason to do it:  it improves your cognitive functions.  Yes, time spent working on those punchlines will help to improve the strength of your grey matter, enabling you to make associations with more ease – a vital part of the memory process.

Don’t stress.  Reducing stress is a proven way to help improve your memory.  When stressed, the brain becomes overloaded with chemicals such as cortisol, which are designed to help your ‘fight-or-flight’ responses.  Unfortunately, too much of these chemicals results in cells being lost and your cognitive functions decreasing.  Keep calm, and keep the chemicals away from your brain.

Eat well.  You’ve all heard of the cliché ‘brain food’.  Well, it’s a cliché for a reason.  There are a variety of foods that will make a noticeable difference to your cognitive performance if eaten regularly over a long enough period of time.  Fruit and veg are perfect as they’re full of antioxidants designed to keep your body as clean as possible.  Fish is also great, as the omega-3 fatty acids are pure fuel for the brain.  Finally, cut back on saturated fat, as it merely clogs up your system and slows down your ability to think.

Take a course.  One of the advantages of the web is that it increases accessibility to a variety of courses that can help you develop and improve your memory, and stave off cognitive decline.  Whether you want to protect yourself against future deterioration or simply improve what you already have, a memory course can help.

Find out about Improve Your Memory Training courses here

Memory Tips and Tricks here

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The tragedy is that many people do not realise that memory is simply a skill.  Like most skills, some people are naturally more inclined towards it than others, but that does not mean that even the most forgetful person is not able to learn techniques that will help.  Spending a little time practising and learning certain memory tricks can have a disproportionate impact on work performance, and hugely improve a forgetful colleague’s workplace reputation.

While the most effective option is likely to be some form of memory course, there are a number of easy to learn techniques that anyone can start using and benefiting from immediately.  One of these is to create a memory place.  This involves using the imagination to create a strange, vivid image of something that needs to be remembered.  This makes recall easier.  Another technique, effective with numbers, is to organise long ones into memorable groups.  As an example, if an individual has to remember the figure £20,132,512 for a business pitch, grouping the number into two parts will make it easier to remember – so in this case 2013 and 25/12.  The first part is more memorable as it is the current year, while the second is the date of Christmas.  This may sound somewhat convoluted, but techniques like these work, as they add meaning to dry facts.

Sleep has also been shown to play a role in memory.  People who are failing to get enough sleep each night should be aware of studies like the one carried out by Howard Nusbaum at the University of Chicago.  It showed that individuals were able to recall information more easily after a good night’s sleep.  Scientists believe memory is organised and consolidated during sleep, and that failing to get enough may interrupt this process.

An improved memory is within reach of anyone.  Many business leaders even offer their employees memory training classes, as this can have a significant effect on the ability of individuals across an organisation to recall important information, and speak with confidence about complex matters.

Find out about Improve Your Memory Training courses here

Memory Tips and Tricks here

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If you work in sales, a well-trained memory can make a huge difference to how effective you are at your job, and to your commission payments.  As you almost certainly already know, sales is about establishing a personal connection, and getting your prospects onside.  This will make them more likely to listen to what you have to say, and far more receptive to your words.  A good memory is one of the most valuable tools there is in this regard.  The typical example is that you will be able to remember the names of a prospect’s wife and children whenever you meet.  While that is true, the advantages stretch far beyond just that application.  You will also be able to remember what techniques work on each client, the specific business demands they are under, and who is actually in charge of authorising sales at each organisation.  This knowledge will give you a distinct advantage over your competitors.

Of course, you will also be able to give a far slicker pitch and presentation than you would otherwise have been able to, as you will be able to remember, and recall, key information effortlessly.  This will reassure your prospects that you really know what you are talking about, and again increase their willingness to listen to you.

You may want to consider forgoing the presentation materials completely, however.  Ian Brodie, an award winning sales expert, says these are often used as a comfort blanket to hide behind, and that they can prevent you from making the kind of real connection that is more likely to result in a sale.  A professional presentation can often go straight over the head of a prospect.  Instead, he recommends remembering the key points, and drawing on a piece of paper to illustrate what you are talking about.

A memory course will help you to remember any figures and points you need to discuss, while giving you the freedom and structure required to confidently improvise and adapt to the specific needs of each potential customer.  Boosting your memory in this way will make you a more adaptable, and successful, salesperson.

Find out about Improve Your Memory Training courses here

Memory Tips and Tricks here

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Stress.  When your body goes into ‘hyperalert’ mode in order to face what it deems to be a crisis situation, your ‘fight-or-flight’ response is triggered by the increase of cortisol into the brain.   However, during a long-term stress situation, your brain becomes overloaded with these chemicals and this actually results in cells being lost, and your ability to think in a cognitive sense being reduced.  In short, relax!

Depression.  Whilst depression has several other deeply unpleasant symptoms, it’s also believed to be responsible for decreasing the body’s ability to store short-term memories.  This is due to low levels of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter linked to the arousal system.  A lack of serotonin means that concentration and focus are reduced, and, combined with a depressed individual’s tendency to dwell on past sad events, leads to an inability to store the memories.

Long-term drinking.  As well as doing a substantial amount of damage to the liver and kidneys, excessive alcohol consumption can have a serious effect on the brain’s frontal lobe, the area responsible for higher intellectual functions, including those involved with – you guessed it – memory.  It may also lead to the onset of Korsakoff syndrome – a form of alcohol-induced dementia.

Pregnancy and menopause.  Both of these key events in a woman’s life are known to have a strong effect on the brain’s cognitive functions owing to fluctuating oestrogen levels interacting with the other chemicals within the brain.  A 2010 study from the University of Bradford found that maternal memory problems (rather tenderly nicknamed ‘baby brain’) were at their strongest from the second trimester through to three months post-partum.  Interestingly, not all women are affected by this particular condition, although it can also affect those going through the menopause.

Remember, if you’d like to try and improve your mind’s ability to remember more effectively, there are many courses available that will specifically help you to train your memory to become more efficient.  Such courses not only improve your memory, but can also protect you against the above effects should you believe yourself to be susceptible to them.

Find out about our Memory courses here

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