Comments on: Weighing in on Alzheimer’s Disease and Crossword Puzzles http://agemyths.com/2009/07/23/weighing-in-on-alzheimers-disease-and-crossword-puzzles/ living with passion at any age Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:47:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: ElderGuru.com http://agemyths.com/2009/07/23/weighing-in-on-alzheimers-disease-and-crossword-puzzles/#comment-77 ElderGuru.com Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:38:47 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=265#comment-77 Just noticed the link you had dropped to my site - thanks much. Learning to play a musical instrument if you never have is far more challenging for the brain (and new) than doing a few crossword puzzles. Our body won't improve unless we keep it challenged with new exercises, greater running distances, or more weight to lift. The brain is the same way. Just noticed the link you had dropped to my site – thanks much. Learning to play a musical instrument if you never have is far more challenging for the brain (and new) than doing a few crossword puzzles. Our body won’t improve unless we keep it challenged with new exercises, greater running distances, or more weight to lift. The brain is the same way.

]]> By: Madeleine Kolb http://agemyths.com/2009/07/23/weighing-in-on-alzheimers-disease-and-crossword-puzzles/#comment-18 Madeleine Kolb Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:58:53 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=265#comment-18 Kye, Thank you so much. I hadn't heard of this book, but I'll definitely check it out. There is so much research being done in this area now, and the results are fascinating. I love the concept of "deep practice." One of the things I'm learning now seems to fit the bill, but that's a subject for another post. Kye, Thank you so much. I hadn’t heard of this book, but I’ll definitely check it out. There is so much research being done in this area now, and the results are fascinating. I love the concept of “deep practice.” One of the things I’m learning now seems to fit the bill, but that’s a subject for another post.

]]> By: Kye http://agemyths.com/2009/07/23/weighing-in-on-alzheimers-disease-and-crossword-puzzles/#comment-17 Kye Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:53:57 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=265#comment-17 Madeleine, have you run across Daniel Coyle's book The Talent Code? It's not about aging per se, but I've found what he has to say about myelination to be very provocative. What brings it to mind in the context of your post, is your quote of Deutschman on the importance of doing new things 'that you'll be bad at for quite a while'. Coyle talks about the importance of 'deep practice'--the kind of practice in which you're working at your edge, failing, and correcting your mistakes--in building myelin circuits. So... taking that together with Deutschman and Merzenich, it looks like building new myelin circuits is an important thing to be doing, to keep our brains healthy as we age. Thanks for a provocative train of thought! Kye Madeleine, have you run across Daniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code? It’s not about aging per se, but I’ve found what he has to say about myelination to be very provocative.

What brings it to mind in the context of your post, is your quote of Deutschman on the importance of doing new things ‘that you’ll be bad at for quite a while’. Coyle talks about the importance of ‘deep practice’–the kind of practice in which you’re working at your edge, failing, and correcting your mistakes–in building myelin circuits.

So… taking that together with Deutschman and Merzenich, it looks like building new myelin circuits is an important thing to be doing, to keep our brains healthy as we age.

Thanks for a provocative train of thought!

Kye

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