Mind & Mood Archive

Anger or aches and pains can hide underlying depression. Seek prompt treatment to protect your heart and mind.

Most people think of depression as persistent sadness or "down" feeling. But the blues can come in different colors in men. Depression may also show itself as irritability and angry outbursts, or physical aches and pains. "A man with depression is more likely to practice denial of feelings, often trying to mask them with other behaviors," says Dr. Gregory Fricchione, director of the Division of Psychiatry and Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Surfing the Internet and catching up with family and friends online will keep you socially connected, and it might improve your memory, too.

Sitting at a computer seems like a sedentary activity, but as you interact with friends on Facebook or search the Internet, you're giving your brain a real workout. Studies are finding that the mental stimulation you gain from using a computer might help boost your memory and slow cognitive decline. "Engaging in any activity that causes you to learn new things is a good use of time and effort," says Dr. Anne Fabiny, chief of geriatrics at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance and editor in chief of Harvard Women's Health Watch.

Having high blood sugar, even without diabetes, can increase the risk for dementia. The higher blood sugar rises, the more that risk goes up.

But only if the training isn't boring to you and pushes your limits enough to produce real improvement.

People who live the most mentally active lives tend to maintain their memories and other cognitive skills as they age. Seeing an opportunity, brain scientists have joined forces with software developers to market products that promise to put your brain through its paces. These "mind games" use words, images, and sounds to tune up your memory, concentration, and attention.

The loss of memory and impaired thinking skills known as dementia may be on the decline. The proportion of people in England who developed dementia fell over the past 20 years, finds a study in The Lancet of more than 7,500 people over age 65. This is potentially good news for an aging population.

Although we can't be sure what's behind the trend, healthy brain aging with regular exercise, a nutritious diet, and an active mind may be having an effect. Higher levels of education, for example, may delay the age at which people are diagnosed with dementia. This is because leading a mentally active life increases the amount of "cognitive reserve" elder brains can draw on, like a bank account, as Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia start to take hold. Better treatment of diseases that attack the arteries, which tend to raise risk for dementia, might also be having an effect.

Good habits, simplified choices, and memory tools can help you cope.

Q. Alzheimer's runs in my family. Will it help to get gene testing for this disease?

A. A relatively small fraction of cases of Alzheimer's disease begin between the ages of 30 and 60—a type called early-onset Alzheimer's disease. In most people with this form of the disease, the cause is one of several mutant genes that the person has inherited from a parent. The primary genes that we know about are called PSEN1, PSEN2, and APP. If someone inherits one of these mutated genes, it is very likely (but not certain) they will develop the disease.

Here's a novel way to help doctors diagnose early dementia among middle-aged people: ask them to put names to famous faces. A study in the Aug. 13, 2013, Neurology found that people with early-onset dementia between the ages of 40 and 65 had far more trouble identifying well-known faces than people in that age group without dementia. Both groups were shown photos of Princess Diana, Albert Einstein, and 18 other iconic celebrities and historical figures. Those with early dementia scored an average of 46% in naming the faces, compared with 93% for those free of dementia. Researchers also tracked how well people in each group scored at recognizing—but not naming—the faces, which may help determine the specific type of cognitive impairment a person has. Researchers say the test may one day help doctors screen people for early dementia and help us understand how the brain works when it comes to remembering and retrieving knowledge of words and objects.

Strengths are built-in capacities for certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Everyone has these capacities to one degree or another. Your particular pattern of strengths is part of what makes you unique.

When you play from your strengths, you are likely to feel more energetic and perform better than when you are trying to use a capacity that comes less naturally. For example, one person trying to influence a local school board to ban soft drink sales might have the strength to speak up forcefully and clearly at a general meeting (despite the almost-universal fear of public speaking). Another person strong in team-building might feel uncomfortable speaking out in a meeting but could successfully build consensus among parents, nutritionists, and others to weigh the issue and come to a decision.

It's important for both your physical and emotional well-being to get help as soon as you suspect it.

It's normal to get the blues occasionally, but if things turn a little blacker, it may be time to take your symptoms more seriously. One in 10 people in the United States has depression, a condition that can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as aches and pains, fatigue, and changes in sleep or appetite. People who have depression are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and possibly dementia.