Does learning a language protect against dementia?
Bilingualism has been linked to a four to five year delay in dementia onset. See what the evidence actually shows and whether learning a language later in life helps.
Does Sudoku improve memory? What the research shows
Sudoku is one of the most-recommended brain exercises for older adults. Here is what controlled trials and large observational studies actually say.
At what age does memory decline? What the research shows
Memory does not start declining in your 60s. See what controlled studies show about when different memory systems peak, plateau, and slow.
Does meditation improve memory? What the research shows
Meditation is widely sold as a focus and memory aid. See what controlled trials actually show about mindfulness, working memory, and attention.
Do crossword puzzles help memory? What the research shows
Crossword puzzles are the classic brain exercise. Here is what the evidence actually says about crosswords, memory, and cognitive decline.
Short-term vs. working memory: the difference
Short-term memory stores information briefly. Working memory manipulates it. That difference explains mental math, distraction, and aging.
How many types of memory are there?
There are seven useful types of memory: sensory, short-term, working, episodic, semantic, procedural, and prospective.
The testing effect: why retrieval beats re-reading for memory
Retrieving a memory strengthens it more than re-studying does. Here is what the testing-effect research shows, and how to apply it daily.
Stress and memory: how cortisol shapes what you can recall
Acute stress sharpens encoding, chronic stress damages it. Here is what the cortisol research shows, and the practical levers for protecting memory.
Sleep apnea and memory: what the evidence shows about cognitive risk
Untreated sleep apnea is independently associated with worse memory and higher dementia risk. Here is the evidence and what CPAP changes.
Loneliness, social isolation, and dementia: what the evidence shows
Loneliness and social isolation are independent dementia risk factors. Here is what the cohort and intervention evidence supports doing.
The spacing effect: why short, repeated sessions beat cramming
The spacing effect is one of the most replicated findings in cognitive psychology. Spaced practice yields about double the retention of massed practice.
The 7 types of memory, explained without jargon
Memory is not one system but seven, organized into short-term, long-term, and the working memory that ties them together. A field guide to the categories.
Hearing loss and dementia: what the evidence actually shows
Hearing loss is the largest single modifiable dementia risk factor per the Lancet 2024 report. What the ACHIEVE trial shows, and what to do.
Exercise and the brain: what aerobic activity actually does
Aerobic exercise grows the hippocampus, raises BDNF, and is the single most-replicated lifestyle factor for cognitive aging. Here is what the trials show.
Blood pressure and dementia: what the SPRINT-MIND trial showed
Treating midlife high blood pressure to a target of 120 mmHg reduced mild cognitive impairment by 19 percent in the SPRINT-MIND trial. Here is what that means.
What is cognitive reserve, and how do you build it?
Cognitive reserve is the brain's capacity to keep working despite age or pathology. What the evidence shows about building it, and the honest limits.
Sleep is when memory actually moves in
Sleep and memory consolidation: how the hippocampus moves new memories into long-term storage during deep sleep, and what protects the process.
The MIND diet, honestly: what the evidence does and doesn't support
The MIND diet is a Mediterranean-DASH hybrid for cognitive aging. The 2015 observational data was strong; the 2023 RCT was null. Here is the honest picture.
The 14 modifiable dementia risk factors, explained
The Lancet Commission's 2024 list of 14 modifiable risk factors linked to ~45% of dementia cases, with what the evidence says to do about each.
Why five minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday
Why five minutes of daily memory training beats an hour on Sunday: the consolidation neurochemistry that rewards frequency over volume.