Our energetic Noggin crew joined Mark Rutledge-Gorman from the Portland Alcohol Research Center (PARC) and a host of other presenters at Jefferson High School in Portland this week, for a Health Fair in the cafeteria…
Allie Clark and Rosalie Lee from Portland State University, Angela Gonzalez from WSU Vancouver, and Alfredo Zuniga from OHSU demonstrated structural and functional aspects of neurons and neural networks using colorful pipe cleaner neurons, and wrangled real brains for curious students…
A few did balk at handling human cerebrums during lunchtime (many students approached the table balancing plates of healthy food!), but most just dived right in…
Some excellent tips for a healthy brain include proper sleep, exercise (e.g., bicycling and walking), good nutrition (there were terrific fruit smoothie samples available for Health Fair attendees), positive social engagement, and active exploration – taking new routes to school, for example, or visiting a different neighborhood and learning how to get around…
There is fascinating evidence to suggest that exploratory behavior, in particular, can improve cognition by promoting the growth of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the hippocampus, a region of the brain critical for memory (image below drawn by Spanish neuroanatomist Ramon y Cajal)…
London cab drivers who passed a grueling navigation test, demonstrating that they had acquired “The Knowledge” of their city’s complex lanes, alleys, mews and roads, developed significantly larger hippocampi than those who weren’t successful…
So travel (around new areas of your own community, city, state, country, or world) is not only broadening, and fun – but can literally grow your brain!
Many thanks to Lynn Zimmerman at Jefferson High School for inviting our volunteers… 🙂
