Teaching an old brain new tricks
Thursday 3 October from 4pm to 5pm
Do you know how to keep your brain healthy and active as you age?
Join us in-person or online, to hear from 3 Brain and Mind Centre researchers about simple yet effective ways to keep your brain sharp through the years.
We’ll cover practical tips, including the importance of regular exercise, a healthy diet, staying socially and mentally engaged, and managing stress and depression.
Researchers will provide guidance about recognising changes in thought, mood or sleep that may signal a need for help and how to get it. Consulting a healthcare professional and addressing these issues early is crucial for reducing your risk for mental decline.
You’ll also learn about the NeuroMusic trial, which examines how learning music can improve memory and brain structure and function in older adults with memory problems, and the ReSHAPED trial, which looks at how treating sleep apnoea may improve outcomes in older adults at risk for dementia.
Neural Knitworks will provide guidance for knitting neurons as a mindfulness activity.
No knitting experience required. Please bring along your own knitting needles. Guided knitting activity is face-to-face only, with doors opening 3:30pm and closing 5:30pm. Knitting patterns will be provided to online attendees.
Knit, science, repeat!
Researchers from the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney
Dr Shawn Kong is a physiology researcher from the Healthy Brain Ageing Program. His research aims to better understand how certain physiologic factors such as blood pressure, heart rate and sleep are related to cognitive decline and the risk of developing dementia.
Dr Zoe Menczel Schrire is a clinical trialist at the Healthy Brain Ageing Program. She is the study coordinator of the NeuroMusic trial, investigating the effect of learning music on cognition and brain plasticity. She also researches the impact of circadian misalignment on the development of dementia.
Ms. Nicole Espinosa is a neuroscientist who studies how the brain changes with age, cognitive decline, and dementia. Her research focuses on ways to protect brain health and prevent or delay cognitive decline.