As we get older, many of us think about ways to eat better, exercise and adapt a healthier lifestyle. But one important part of our body that needs special care is the brain.
This Saturday, Wake Forest University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is hosting an event called "Staying Sharp". A panel of medical and clinical experts from the school and Wake Forest Baptist Health will discuss how the brain ages, how memory works and what you can do to help your brain stay healthy.
Dwayne Godwin, neuroscientist at Wake Forest Baptist Health, said there will be lots of activities and a question and answer session with participants.
"One feature of the program is the keynote address by Gary Small, M.D.,” he said. Small is the author of the The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program. The event will also include a “brain fair”, featuring a demonstration of how the brain ages, memory quizzes and an opportunity to see a real human brain.
Godwin said there are four factors involved in healthy brain aging: increased levels of mental activity, physical activity, social engagement and control of cardiovascular risk factors. He said the organ is sort of like a muscle: “if you don't use it, you lose it”. Godwin said researchers will discuss some recent medical findings at the event.
"There has been this really kind of strange study that suggests people with more Facebook friends actually have more grey matter. It is kind of a weird finding but it suggests that your engagement with the world and your social circle has a real beneficial role in keeping your mind healthy," said Godwin.
The sponsors for "Staying Sharp" are the Western North Carolina Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, AARP and MetLife.
The event is free to the public, but registration is required by calling 1-800-65-BRAIN. It will be held Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. -12 p.m. at Wake Forest BioTech Place on 6th Street and Patterson Avenue in Winston-Salem.
