The United States and all loving people around the globe watched in horror as the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona unfolded on our television screens. This irrational act of violence resulted in such loss of life and trauma that most of us are left trying to understand. Such behavior cannot be boiled down to a simple explanation. Rather, this act typically is the outcome of many factors that may have originated many years ago.

Such acts of violence and impulsive hostility cause shock and psychological harm that can last long after the actual act. It is important to take time to process what has unfolded, to reach out and help those in need, and to unite with love and prayer. Such approaches to coping after a tragedy are healthy and help the healing process.

There are also so many heroic acts that were displayed in Tucson. The older woman who acted to prevent the killer from acting again, the 20 year-old student of the University of Arizona who helped to save the Congresswoman’s life at the scene, the police and medics who rushed to help those in need, and the medical staff at the University of Arizona Medical Center who continue to display such skill and compassion in their treatment of the victims.

I lived nearly ten years in Tucson, earned my graduate degree at the University of Arizona, and trained at the university hospital. I am very proud of the community, the loving people of Tucson, the University and their medical staff. It is true that we are dealing with an act of horror. However, it is also true that we witnessed acts of courage, skill, and compassion that remind us of our best qualities.

As a psychologist, I encourage everyone to move forward with hopes and prayers for those most directly affected by this tragedy. Consider reaching out to those who may be in need at this time and explain the situation to the young in your life who may be afraid. We should not use this as a means to advance any agenda and we should not affix blame to anyone or anything that is not related. This is not a political issue; it is a human issue of horrific consequence.

Moving forward we should try to refrain from personal attack and from personalizing messages that might contrast with our own ideas. We need leaders across the planet who can communicate messages that unite and not divide. The same is true for the media. We should not call others names simply because they disagree with us. We can remain passionate about our beliefs and maintain civility with others who have opposing ideas.

We need a more mature discourse in the United States and across the world, one that unites rather than divides. We are all human with more commonality than difference. Political leaders, media, and those with the ability to connect with millions of people need to lead by example. The rest of us need to work on a daily basis to be more patient and tolerant, to forgive, and to reach out to those who may disagree with our views the most.

Life is too valuable and we are too smart to not try.

God bless the victims of this tragedy and congratulations to the great people of Tucson for their acts of courage and compassion.

Dr. Nussbaum

It is tradition for everyone to make a New Year’s Resolution, to change a behavior that will improve our lives. Such resolutions provide a sense of new beginning and a type of second chance. They are also most often short lived as behavior is very difficult to change. Try sleeping on a different side of the bed for one week and you will understand how hard it is to change behavior!!

A quick piece of advice regarding resolutions is to make it simple, small, and most important personal. Diets and resolutions that involve food, alcohol, or nicotine tend not to be very personal. Think of things that are more life shaping and perhaps involve relationships or how you approach others. Keep the idea small as one baby step change a year can add up to a new and better you.

The resolution needs to be something personal, practical, and capable of being consistently completed or changed. Keeping things small and in baby step progression will help you to be successful.

Happy New Year!

Fifteen year-old students in the US ranked 25th out of 34 nations on an international math test and ranked in the middle in science and reading. This again raises concerns for America’s youth being able to compete in a global economy.

Teens from South Korea and Finland led in almost all academic categories on the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment. This is according to the Paris-based Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that represents 34 nations. U.S. students ranked 17th in science and 14th in reading.

The Obama administration is promoting national curriculum standards and a revamping of teacher pay that stresses performance, rather than credentials and seniority. According to Secretary Duncan, “other countries are ahead of the US and improving more rapidly.”

The OECD’s international test, first administered in 2000, is given every three years, aims to measure skills achieved near the end of compulsory schooling. In the US, 165 public and private schools and 5,233 students participated in the two-hour paper and pencil examination.

A total of 470,000 students participated in a 65 nations and economies. For the first time Shanghai region was considered distinct and they scored even higher than South Korea and Finland.

Some suggest the US is placed at a disadvantage due to its heterogeneous and immigrant population. Some thought is also given to the idea that the US fails to put the most talented teachers in the challenging classrooms.

From a policy perspective the top scoring nations on the test offer clues to the US. Successful countries provide comparable opportunities to all students, regardless of wealth, offer autonomy to individual schools in terms of curriculum and prioritize teacher pay over smaller classes.

From a brain enrichment perspective, the argument for heterogeneity of population does not hold as everyone has a brain and the brain will react to proper stimulation with an outcome of learning. Some of the following suggestions might be considered by policy makers:

1.    Schools need to be considered brain health environments and we should apply our latest research on proper environments and nutrition to the school environment.

2.    The school day is not scheduled according to proper sleep-wake cycles and thus impairs learning. Our children are not getting proper sleep. Start the school day later and end later. This will also help students have time to eat breakfast. Our     students are also too stagnant during the day while all research indicates a relationship between mobility and enhanced learning.

3.    National Standards are good because they permit valid comparisons of performance.

4.    I agree with the report that autonomy (I call it freedom) is critical for schools. Teachers and students should have the freedom to be innovative and creative. To     this end Unions need to be significantly reduced or removed from the equation.  Bureaucracy tends to limit and reduce achievement, stifle innovation, and breed mediocrity. Is there anyone out there who wants to be limited? Teachers are a  talented and motivated group generally and they should be given the freedom to create and innovate.

5.    Curriculum is best learned when it is personal and applied.

6.    Scores should be considered a by product of other more primary mechanisms such as what motivates teachers and students, what stimulates peak brain function, and how the function of learning in school can be applied with a personal meaning.

7.    Money is clearly not the answer. Greatness can be achieved with a stick and stone if delivered in a personal and brain stimulating way.

8.    The student can overcome most obstacles if he or she is motivated to do well and enriches his or her brain through study, repeated exposure to the material,  application of the material to life, and prioritizes his or her education as     important. Family/parental input is critical here.

9.    Local solutions are typically better than one-size-fit-all approaches. While there are general principles of learning and environmental changes that should be applied in all schools, the creative and innovative capacities are best left to the     brains that work and learn within each school.

10.    A nation that spends more than most and yet is behind most is a nation that needs to change and to stop approaching the important topic of shaping the brains of  children in a political manner.

11.    We should integrate our latest neuroimaging technology to the school system to better understand proper shaping of the young brain and to build curriculums that  have the outcomes desired.

One of the five major pillars of my brain health lifestyle ® is nutrition and we have learned how important nutrition is for the brain. In fact, an entire field called “nutritional neurosciences” has emerged to reflect this reality. While the amount of what we eat is always important and we should all strive for some level of caloric restriction, the types of foods we consume are certainly also important.

The brain is composed of nearly 60% fat and it is thought that the lipid in the brain helps to insulate neural tracts and to propel information electrically in an efficient manner. The brain can slow down and function less optimally if the lipid is reduced or damaged. To this end, the study of omega 3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid in the body, has been studied and continues to be a major area of interest in relationship to the brain.

Omega 3s including DHA and EPA are critical to optimal brain function. They can be found in fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. They are also found in unsalted nuts. Long chain omega 3s such as DHA is now found in other foods and in many different supplements on the market. DHA appears to be a credible and critical nutrient for the brain at all ages and helps with both neuropsychological and cardiac function. Fish are good sources of DHA because they consume algae in their own diet. Smaller fish that do not swim at deeper levels of the ocean also reduce the risk of mercury levels that might be a risk for humans.

A recent study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia revealed algal DHA (algal-900) improved memory in healthy older adults. The memory benefit was nearly equal to skills of those one three years younger. Similar cognitive benefits of DHA have been published elsewhere in healthy populations, but some question remains regarding the benefit of such nutrition in those already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. DHA may have a preventative effect more than a treatment effect and there may be a relationship between efficacy of DHA and the presence of APOE-4 genotype.

It is important that consumers speak to their physicians about any supplements they take and to be aware that many of the products across the counter have filler which have little if any benefit. Americans do not consume enough DHA omega-3 in their diet and supplements may need to be considered. In addition to the DHA supplement noted above, consumers may wish to review Moxxor (www.moxxor.com) for research on omega 3s.

One of the five main pillars of my Brain Health Lifestyle ® is Socialization. The human brain is nurtured with social interaction and the mental stimulation such human connection can promote. Research has consistently shown that humans who isolate and segregate have a higher risk of dementia, including that caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Traditional socialization includes gatherings of humans where face to face contact can occur. We have plenty of opportunity for this on a daily basis at home, work, school, sporting events, parties, meeting, and other such gatherings. There is a new type of socialization that has emerged, however, and I refer to this as “modern day socialization.”

Modern day socialization is born from the technology age and a generation of youth who communicate and interact via gadgets, not the mouth. Cell phones, computers, IPods, IPads, and videogames are the mechanics of such socialization. Programs such as email, text messaging, Ichat, Skype, and social media are used daily.

Research conducted at the University of Texas suggests that social networking sites like Facebook actually help in socialization. Findings indicate that Facebook does not supplant face to face interaction between friends and family. Indeed, such virtual social sites or social media actually promote opportunities for new expressions of friendship, debate, and even development of deeper relationships.

900 college students and recent graduates were surveyed about how and with whom they interact on Facebook. More than 60% of Facebook users said posting status updates was among the most popular activities, followed by 60% who wrote comments on their profile and 49% who posted messages and comments to friends.

Interestingly, the research indicated that while men and women use Facebook they do so in different ways (supports gender differences in brain function). Women tend to use more affectionate content and they are especially interested in connection. Men tend to use Facebook as a tool or as a functional means. As an example, women may post more pictures of social gatherings while men post pictures of hobbies or pop-culture link.

Facebook and other social media represent a new means for socialization. The underlying foundation of human interaction and the need for such interaction on brain health and overall wellbeing remains strong however. Technology will always advance, but the critical ingredients to human happiness will likely remain constant.

As I provide my talks on brain health and lifestyle across the nation I spend some time talking about the importance of socialization to brain health. This includes remaining integrated in society, defining a role and purpose to your time, and building strong family and friendship networks. The latter point is the one that is perhaps most difficult for us as we all have tension in one or more relationships and these relationships are often within the family.

I often offer audience members the idea of teaching the next psychopathology class at the local university with me. I let them know that Thanksgiving is a wonderful real world laboratory to observe and experience plenty of family/friend based tension to talk about during the class!

On a more serious note, Thanksgiving Holiday is a wonderful time to be with family and friends, reflect on all we have, and pray for those who are hurting or alone. This is only true, however, if we permit our experience of this holiday to be positive and to avoid the many traps of stress and tension that exist on this wonderful Thursday each November.

One key to achieving the positive outcome with Thanksgiving is to keep your focus on the larger picture and refrain from the small stuff. Enjoy the time with your family and pay attention to the effort made to provide a nice meal. Listen to the stories and simply look at those around you. What if this was your last Thanksgiving? Go overboard with the praise and thanks to those who provide the meal and open their home to you. Have the courage to tell everyone there something positive, especially to those where the tension exists. Think about those who may not be able to be there with you and let everyone know you are thinking of them. Praise our veterans who are many miles away from home on this day. Above all, give thanks for the opportunity to enjoy this great day.

Some research indicates our brains’ electrical activity is generated in the front left region when we have positive and hopeful thoughts. Similar activity is generated in the right front region when we are nervous or anxious, stressed, and perhaps negative in our thinking. The key to Thanksgiving is to focus on the positive, get the left front region of your brain busy, and enjoy the good feelings that will emerge.

Stay with the big picture of the day and do not focus on the small stuff!

Happy Thanksgiving.

A new study published in Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a relationship between heavy smoking in midlife and increased risk for dementia. This includes both vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Prospective data from a multiethnic population-based cohort of 21,123 members of a health care system who participated in a survey between 1978 and 1985 was analyzed. Of that group, 25% were diagnosed as having dementia during a follow-up period of 23 years. Compared to nonsmokers, those smoking more than two packs a day evinced an elevated risk of dementia.

The authors concluded that heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in the risk of dementia, AD and VaD more than two decades later. Results suggest the brain is vulnerable to long term consequences of heavy smoking.

My brain health lifestyle ® advocates remaining integrated and involved with personally relevant roles across your lifespan. Retirement, defined from a traditional sense, suggests the opposite and seems to advocate a withdrawal from society, a tendency towards isolation and passive existence. Surveys indicate baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) will not rely on the traditional form of retirement and instead will redefine their roles several times as they get older. This is most likely a very positive sign from a brain health perspective.

My thought is that an active and stimulated brain is healthy. Studies in animals have shown the relationship between socialization and mental stimulation and structural and functional brain health. There have also been plenty of studies to show a similar relationship in humans. While there is not a cause and effect, we should not underestimate the value of the relationship.

A recent study published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives suggests that the earlier people retire, the more quickly their memory ability erodes. Data was gathered from the United States and 11 European countries as part of an NIA study that began 20 years ago. 22,000 or more Americans 50 years of age and older were surveyed every two years and administered memory tests. This led Europeans to do their own surveys using similar questions so the data could be compared.

The memory test measured free recall of a list of 10 nouns immediately after presentation and then again 10 minutes after they were first presented. Respondents in the United States scored an average of 11/20 while those in Europe recalled less. The authors of the study noticed large differences in the years people retired. In the U.S., England, and Denmark, retirement 65 to 70% of men were still working in their 60s. In France and Italy, the figure is 10 to 20% and 38% in Spain.

Researchers found a direct relationship between percentage of persons in a nation who are working at age 60-64 and their performance on memory tests. The longer people in a country keep working, the better, as a group, they do on tests when they are in their early 60s.

More work is needed to better understand the multiple factors that can play a role in this significant relationship. However, it appears clear that work remains a positive aspect or function to health as we get older and fits with the idea that remaining integrated and involved with personal meaningful roles is beneficial to brain health

Interest in the human brain is at an all time high with both scientists and the general public reading, learning, and writing more about this great system. There is much discussion and even tension about what the brain can and cannot do, whether it has certain capacities or not, and what can be stated with some confidence and what cannot.

While it is true we need to conduct more, well designed, controlled studies, certain things are true of the brain today:

1.    The human brain is the most complicated and brilliant system known.
2.    The human brain has plasticity which means it can be shaped, is dynamic, and constantly reorganizing.
3.    The human brain generates brain cells in the hippocampus and most likely the olfactory system.
4.    Cognition changes as we get older, but there remains great variability particularly at the oldest of age.
5.    Proactive lifestyle factors relate to improved brain health.
6.    Brain reserve continues to gain support as a mechanism to delay onset of dementia.

The latter point was reinforced yesterday in a major article in the USA Today (9-2-10) that described a study that will be published in Neurology. A research team at Rush Presbyterian conducted a 12 year study that evaluated the mental activities of 1,157 people 65 years of age and older who did not demonstrate dementia at the start of the study. Study participants were assessed at the beginning of the study and again for Alzheimer’s at the six-year period. After that, each participated was evaluated every three years to measure how often they participated in activities such as reading, listening to the radio, playing games and going to the museum. A five point scale was used with more points earned for more frequent participation in mentally stimulating activities.

Results indicated the rate of cognitive decline for persons without dementia was reduced by 52% for each point on the cognitive activity scale. For persons with Alzheimer’s the average rate of decline per year increased by 42% for each point on the same scale. The research team described their findings using the cognitive construct of “cognitive or brain reserve” which suggests that an active and stimulated brain creates new neural pathways which over time can help to delay onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. This is not a cure.

Researchers were less clear why persons who are mentally active demonstrate a rapid decline once Alzheimer’s manifests. One idea might be that reserve helps to delay onset of Alzheimer’s, but once the disease manifests clinically it is already in an advanced stage with an accelerated rate of decline. The good news for this study is that there is benefit to the brain from remaining mentally stimulated across the lifespan. Brain reserve is something worth building.

The hot lazy days of summer tends to provide ample time and opportunity for many activities. Youth sports, swimming, vacations, retreats, and all the time to spend with technologies. One thing that might not get accomplished is the simplicity of spending time with the family without any task or duty to accomplish, and without the technological gadgets that can distract us.

Family time remains critically important to the vitality and strengthening of bonds between parents and children and between siblings. Time can be taken each day or perhaps several times a week to simply stop everything and talk. A family sitting together inside or outside can relate well to each other. It might be uncommon for many families to share their thoughts and feelings with one another, but this will serve to strengthen the family bond.

Families can provide tremendous support to its members and be a place to voice concerns or fears. What might seem a bit odd at first can become a regular exercise of checking in with so the family stays a priority and not a thing that keeps us away from our cell phones, etc.

As summer winds down take a few days each week and create a family time where the members of your family will gather and talk. You will be refreshed and filled with energy and joy to be together focused on one another.