The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: mountaineer on August 08, 2013, 01:12:44 pm
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Want to stave off dementia?
Drink two cups of hot cocoa each day, neurologists say, in a new study published in the American Academy of Neurology.
The study included the participation of 60 people who had an average age of 73 and were never diagnosed with dementia. They drank two cups of hot cocoa each day for a month, while simultaneously abstaining from ingesting any other forms of chocolate, The Times of India reported.
During the test period, they also participated in various memory and thinking tests, while researchers tracked and monitored their brain blood flows with several ultrasounds.
Their findings: Eighteen of the 60 test subjects who had impaired blood flow to their brains at the beginning of the study experienced an 8.3 percent improvement by test’s end. Those with normal blood flow at the outset of the experiment did not see any improved blood flow.
Those who experienced the improved blood flow also saw their memory test results improve significantly, The Times of India reported. And once again, those who had normal blood flow at the beginning of the study did not see any improved memory test results at the end.
“More work is needed to prove a link between cocoa, blood flow problems and cognitive decline,” said Paul Rosenberg, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, in The Times of India report. “But this is an important first step that could guide future studies.”
Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/8/two-cups-cocoa-day-could-keep-dementia-away-neurol/#ixzz2bNnpnqRq)
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During the test period, they also participated in various memory and thinking tests, while researchers tracked and monitored their brain blood flows with several ultrasounds.
Um. There is a very well known correlation between using your brain and a lower risk of dementia. It is why the better nursing homes encourage residents to play games, do puzzles, crosswords or sudoku and interact with each other by singing, lecturing or general discussion. IIRC (possibly not) that gives a similar effect on the brain blood flow as the one being reported for cocoa.
Not that I'd discourage people from drinking cocoa - it is rather good. But this is a study with two variables, one of which is already known to be beneficial.
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Um. Your nit-picking about variables doesn't make sense. The article clearly states they were subjected to thinking and memory TESTS.
Thinking and memory TESTING is not the same as thinking and memory exercise and activity. I worked in cognitive rehab for enough years to know the difference.
They were TESTED during the time they were drinking 2 cups of cocoa a day.
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Yes, it would appear the memory testing was done to see whether the cocoa had an effect on their overall cognition. It wasn't that the participants necessarily already were keeping their minds actives with crossword puzzles and the like.
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Fair enough.
Their methodology seemed flawed to me, so it was something to point out. I always take these "X is good for you/X is bad for you" studies that make it into the media with a huge pinch of salt (which is apparently good for me as a hypo-tension sufferer but will kill me in short order according to the health panels.)
Would you mind explaining the difference between tests (carrying out specific activities) and activity (carrying out activities). To me - and other laymen in the field of cognitive science - they'd seem to be pretty much the same.
Edit - that was for Lipstick on a Hillary. And no snark, I am curious about everything. :laugh:
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Oh well, too late for me!
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Two cups of hot cocoa a day could keep the dementia away, neurologists say
Oh my gosh, that's just crazy.
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I always take these "X is good for you/X is bad for you" studies that make it into the media with a huge pinch of salt
Same here, especially since the experts so often are unable to decide whether the same thing is good or bad, e.g., coffee, eggs, etc.