As you leave the doctor’s office you look down at the prescription pad and notice that instead of a drug your doctor has prescribed a dose of… exercise? This should really come as no surprise considering that by combining all the benefits discussed previously, aerobic exercise acts like a ‘cocktail therapy’ to improve brain health. There is little doubt that a dose of exercise is foundational for brain health, but did you know exercise can also be used as medicine to prevent, treat or recover from several brain disorders? Here are some examples: Continue reading “Exercise as medicine”
Month: March 2013
This is your brain on exercise
Imagine there is a drug that combats aging by regenerating brain cells, improving cognition, and strengthening memory. Sometime in the future this might be possible, but in the meantime, there is a low cost, easily accessible way to get all of these benefits: exercise. Not to mention the fact that regular exercise is the single best thing to boost one’s overall health, recent scientific evidence points to the fact that physical activity also improves brain health and brain function. The changes that happen inside your brain during exercise may surprise you. Continue reading “This is your brain on exercise”
Message from Dr. Donald Stuss, President and Scientific Director of OBI
It’s Brain Awareness Week 2013 – a time to think about the promise of brain research and how it’s helping all of us take practical steps towards healthier brains and a healthier future. Continue reading “Message from Dr. Donald Stuss, President and Scientific Director of OBI”
Walking Away From Dementia
Report finds that physical activity protects us from losing brain function
A new report by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) shows that more than one in seven cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) could be prevented by moderate physical activity. Continue reading “Walking Away From Dementia”
Your Brain Health
Give your brain a workout
On their own, physical activity and cognitive (mental) exercise can each act to keep our bodies and our brains fit. But did you know that challenging your body and your brain together can maximize the brain health benefit? Continue reading “Your Brain Health”
Playing for better health
Image Courtesy of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Gaming platforms make therapy fun for kids with limited mobility
Experts at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital are turning popular video games into a new form of home-based therapy for children with one of the most common types of cerebral palsy (CP). Continue reading “Playing for better health”
The road to recovery
Image Courtesy of Providence Care
A unique approach brings movement to stroke survivors
BOTOX® and robots: a curious pair.
But it’s this novel combination of medicine and technology that’s helping doctors and scientists find better treatments for stroke patients with limited movement.
More than 50,000 people in Canada suffer a stroke every year. Of them, more than one third develop a condition called spasticity. Continue reading “The road to recovery”