Perhaps the two biggest concerns for older people's future are too much life left over at the end of the money and too much life at the end of the memories. As we live longer, these fears become ever more present . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The importance of lifestyle and mental health!
Primarily about the effects of the decline of our visual, auditory and cognitive functions, there are parallels in other areas relative to cognitive decline. In this area, perhaps the best tool we have is that of effective and beneficial lifestyle changes. Things, such as, stopping (or never starting) the smoking habit, lower our alcohol intake to as close to zero every day (with zero being the goal), increase in the presence of calmer mental states and engaging in things that challenge the physical (exercise) and tune out (relaxation). Even when we exercise, we can still remain calm.
Other important factors are diet, the idiom, "garbage in, garbage out" doesn't only apply to computers, it applies equally to us. maybe more so, since we are the ones inputting the garbage into computers? Food creates the building blocks of life, amino acids, proteins and fats essential to life and liquids essentially the hydration that keeps our brain functioning as optimally as possible.
Even though hypnosis can dramatically promote good mental states and, subsequently, behaviour, it can do so much more effectively if you are taking good measures to increase the presence of calm and peaceful states of mind. The art of mental stimulation, helps the brain, to a certain degree, to create and maintain brain reserve capacity, The brain's natural ability to rebuild and bounce back from brain damage, e.g. the negative effects of nicotine, alcohol, drugs, toxic substances (vehicle emissions), and physical damage, too many headers, contact sports or just plain old accidents. Distress appears to be a factor in diminishing the brains natural bounce-back factor. So, Relax!
Hypnotherapy stands out as one of the most effective strategic life management methods there is, especially in its ability to promote good states of mental wellness. The behaviours that make life challenging are often a result of dysregulation of the neurotransmission in and across the brain. Stress and anxiety, which are almost always present in many disorders that I treat, may play a developing role in the progression of one's difficulty in experiencing cognitive wellness. Relaxation is one of life's most natural repair mechanisms and one that we, by and large, ignore. So it makes perfect sense to use a methodology that addresses the subconscious mind's role in perpetuating negative emotions and one that helps create calm relaxing states the make life work better! If you would like to address any concerns you have in this direction, or, if you just want to make your life feel better, then why not make an appointment for a Free Consultation? Hypnosis gives you the ability to have a good life!
The objective here is to help people understand how and why we become illogically trapped into irrational emotional experiences that may actually be happening for reasons different to that which we would imagine! If you want to know more about how Hypnotherapy can help you; why not make an appointment for a Free Consultation?
For more information on the Free Consultation - Go Here Or, to book your Free Consultation today, you can do so here
The Research:
Experts at a recent medical conference hosted by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) hope their work -- reported today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society -- will have colleagues seeing eye-to-eye on an important but under-researched area of health care: The link between impaired vision, hearing, and cognition (the medical term for our memory and thinking capabilities, which are impacted as we age by health concerns like dementia and Alzheimer's disease). (1) With vision and hearing loss already affecting up to 40 per cent of older adults(1) -- and with one in ten older people already living with Alzheimer's disease(2) -- the conference reviewed the current state of the science regarding how these common health challenges might be connected, why the answer might matter, and what can be done to reduce sensory and cognitive impairments to preserve our health for as long as possible.
"As we live longer, we know that sensory and cognitive impairments will become more prevalent," said Heather Whitson, MD, MHS, Associate Professor of Medicine & Ophthalmology at Duke University Medical Center and one of the lead researchers for the AGS-NIA conference convened in 2017. "While we know a great deal about these impairments individually, we know less about how they are related -- which is surprising since impaired hearing and vision often go hand-in-hand and are associated with an increased risk for cognitive trouble."
One obstacle to optimizing sensory and cognitive health is our poor understanding of the two-way street connecting both. (1) For example, we know the brain relies on sensory input to understand our environment and make decisions. (1) Researchers also know that cognitive processes -- such as connections in the brain that allow us to locate visual targets -- guide our visual and auditory attention. (1) Yet we have a limited understanding of how these inter-related processes are affected by age-related changes in the brain, eyes, and ears.
Is the connection between sensory impairment and cognitive decline linear, with one health concern leading to the other, or is it cyclical, reflecting a more complex connection? AGS-NIA conference attendees think answers to these questions are critical, which is why their conference report maps the state of sensory and cognitive impairment research while also outlining important priorities for future scholarship and clinical practice. These include answering questions tied to the mechanics, measurement, and management of impairments:
* Identify the Mechanisms Responsible for Sensory and Cognitive Impairments (and Their Connections)(1)
** Is there a cause-and-effect relationship between cognition, vision, and hearing?
** What biological factors or characteristics of our nervous system affect both sensory and cognitive health?
* Better Equip Clinicians and Researchers to Measure Forms of Sensory and Cognitive Impairment(1)
** What standards currently exist for measuring sensory impairment and cognitive decline? How are they used among diverse populations, particularly those who might already struggle with access to health care?
** How can we develop and validate new tools and protocols to measure cognition for people who also live with vision impairments, hearing impairments, or both? Similarly, how can we better measure hearing and vision health in older people managing cognitive health concerns?
** How can we work to ensure broad measures of cognitive and sensory impairment are included in existing research studies as a way to better adapt findings to the realities of older-adult health?
* Better Prepare Older Adults and Health Professionals to Address Sensory and Cognitive Impairments(1)
** How effective, feasible, and accessible are existing options for assisting older people living with cognitive impairments, hearing impairments, and/or vision impairments?
** What innovations will be necessary to develop new resources, tools, and protocols to improve cognitive and sensory health or to accommodate those who live with these health concerns?
"The evidence we have at present indicates that impaired vision, hearing, and cognition occur more often together than would be expected by chance alone," summarized Frank Lin, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine and another lead researcher at the AGS-NIA conference. "Figuring out why -- and what can be done about a potential link -- represents a critical new leap for the care we all will want and need as we age."
This research was supported by the NIA of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award U13AG054139. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the NIH.
Story Source:
Materials provided by the American Geriatrics Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Heather E. Whitson, Alice Cronin-Golomb, Karen J. Cruickshanks, Grover C. Gilmore, Cynthia Owsley, Jonathan E. Peelle, Gregg Recanzone, Anu Sharma, Bonnielin Swenor, Kristine Yaffe, Frank R. Lin. American Geriatrics Society and National Institute on Aging Bench-to-Bedside Conference: Sensory Impairment and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/jgs.15506
Cite This Page: American Geriatrics Society. "Exploring links between senses and cognitive health." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 September 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180924160940.htm>.
