There is a clear sex and gender gap in outcomes for brain health disorders across the lifespan, with strikingly negative outcomes for women. This understanding calls for a more systematic way of approaching this issue of inequality. The “Brain Health Gap” highlights and frames inequalities in all areas across the translational spectrum from bench-to-bedside and from boardroom-to-policy and economics. Closing the Brain Health Gap will help economies create recovery and prepare our systems for future global shocks. It is a testament to the imperative of the “Brain Health Gap” that this convers ..read more

Working with UT-Dallas’s Center for BrainHealth, Bonnie Pitman uses her expertise in art to help both physicians and people living with debilitating conditions. One snowy winter day in Vienna, Bonnie Pitman inhaled the breath that transformed her life. She had just completed negotiations to bring a collection of Egyptian treasures to the Dallas Museum of Art, of which she was the director. The exhibit, “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” would open later that year, in the fall of 2008. Now as she waited at the airport to make her way home, she started to cough. By the tim ..read more

With so many people across the world facing a plethora of mental and emotional challenges, we’ve come to understand in no uncertain terms how stress can negatively impact our performance, both personally and professionally. After recognizing the deleterious effects that pandemic-related stressors were having on its workforce, Freeman enlisted the help of the Center for BrainHealth, a leading brain research center at The University of Texas at Dallas, to help improve employee wellbeing, health and performance via an innovative company-wide initiative. Launched in March, the BrainHea ..read more

Did you know it’s possible to boost your brain power? A study happening in Dallas is offering tools to maximize brain health and a one-of-a-kind peek into your own brain potential. The BrainHealth Project, happening at the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas, is a landmark scientific study designed to define brain health, measure brain health with a novel, multi-faceted BrainHealth index that tracks progress toward personalized brain fitness goals, and enhance, maintain and regain brain health through proven training, self-paced activities and live coaching. The proj ..read more

Most people have thought about what they would do in the event of a zombie apocalypse. You know where you’d hide, what you’d weaponize, and the destination you’d attempt to reach. But few of us have ever thought about the scenario from the perspective of the zombies. Leaving aside the grossness and tragedy of their head-chomping lifestyle, is a brain-heavy diet providing them with everything they need, nutrition-wise? THE PROBLEM WITH BRAINS There’s another issue with brains: They’re high in fat. This largely comes down to myelin, the coating on axons—those fibers that connect different parts ..read more

Scientists have made great strides in understanding the organ’s complexities. For a long time it was assumed that while, sure, brains were amazing, there wasn’t much you could do for an individual brain besides watch it decline. But scientists have made great strides in understanding the organ’s complexities, and their work is starting to affect our daily lives. Researchers are currently looking into more detailed brain imaging, better genetic-risk profiling, and dementia-related biomarkers in blood, urine, and spinal fluid—and that’s just diagnostics. “In the past five to 10 years, the ..read more

When it comes to brain health, we know a ton of different components can influence our capacity for lasting memory and cognition. Staying hydrated, practicing yoga, and even doing household chores can all help keep our brains in tip-top shape as we age. But one of the best exercises for the brain, according to experts? Experiencing new things. “The enemy of neuroplasticity is status quo thinking, or going on auto-pilot,” says Jennifer Zientz, MS, CCC/SLP, head of clinical services at Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. “Cu ..read more

The brain has a lifelong ability to improve. It’s time to reject the notion that it is “normal” for brain performance to decline with age. Did you know that there are things you can do each day to increase or maintain your brain health and improve your focus? Over the past 3 decades, research has established that the brain is the most adaptable and flexible organ – across the entire lifespan – thanks to neuroplasticity. Build healthy brain practices for life Being brain healthy is a lifetime endeavor. Keep learning more strategies to strengthen your brain by joining The BrainHealth Proje ..read more

The brain has a lifelong ability to improve. It’s time to reject the notion that it is “normal” for brain performance to decline with age. Did you know that there are things you can do each day to increase or maintain your brain health and improve your focus? Over the past 3 decades, research has established that the brain is the most adaptable and flexible organ – across the entire lifespan – thanks to neuroplasticity. Build healthy brain practices for life   Being brain healthy is a lifetime endeavor. Keep learning more strategies to strengthen your brain by joining The BrainHealt ..read more

But helping them navigate sibling conflict can have positive effects long after lockdowns are over. The yelling had escalated into slapping and punching between the two sisters, 10 and 13. “The younger sister kept invading her sister’s room, dancing in the background of the screen during virtual learning,” says Amanda Ann Gregory, a psychotherapist in Chicago. “It was really embarrassing for the 13-year-old. Things were very, very tense.” It’s a scene that’s likely playing out in many family households, as the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched and strained families in extraordinary ways th ..read more