A growing amount of research suggests that exposure to pesticides may increase the risk for Parkinson’s disease. If you use pesticides, wear protective clothing, including rubber gloves, and wash well afterward to minimize exposure, especially ingestion.

Exercise is as effective as antidepressants in some cases.

One in 10 adults in the United States struggles with depression, and antidepressant medications are a common way to treat the condition. However, pills aren't the only solution. Research shows that exercise is also an effective treatment. "For some people it works as well as antidepressants, although exercise alone isn't enough for someone with severe depression," says Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

The exercise effect

Exercising starts a biological cascade of events that results in many health benefits, such as protecting against heart disease and diabetes, improving sleep, and lowering blood pressure. High-intensity exercise releases the body's feel-good chemicals called endorphins, resulting in the "runner's high" that joggers report. But for most of us, the real value is in low-intensity exercise sustained over time. That kind of activity spurs the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better. "In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression," explains Dr. Miller.

How to tell the difference between typical forgetfulness and something more serious, and when to see a specialist.

Do you walk into a room only to forget what brought you there? Have you ever run into someone you know and his or her name slipped your mind? Do you often engage in a frantic search for misplaced car keys, glasses, or other everyday items?

Research shows the approach is especially helpful for those who aren't aided by drugs.

Depression is more than just a bit of the blues. The classic sadness, despair, and slowed mental functioning can be accompanied by physical symptoms, including aches and pains, heart palpitations, tremors, fatigue, and nausea. People who have depression are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and possibly dementia.

Regular exercise releases brain chemicals that support better memory, concentration, and mental sharpness.

Do you sometimes feel a little foggy? Or frustrated with frequent bouts of forgetfulness? Here's some good news from the frontiers of brain-body science:

The best time to treat brain plaques may be the 15-year period when they are first developing. These plaques are found in Alzheimer's disease and are linked to a decline in memory and thinking abilities.

New Harvard research confirms some links, rejects others.

Two new studies from Harvard examine the possible associations between migraine headaches and other conditions. One study offers encouraging news: the headaches will not hurt thinking skills. Another study suggests a warning: the headaches, when accompanied by aura, may signal an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. "After high blood pressure, migraine with aura was the second strongest single contributor to the risk of heart attacks and strokes," says study author Dr. Tobias Kurth, adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "It was followed by diabetes, family history, smoking, and obesity."

Migraines and dementia

A migraine is a throbbing headache that begins mainly on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea. It can last from four to 72 hours, and it can be made worse by loud noise and bright light. Sometimes people who get migraines see pulsating lights or black spots or have blurry, distorted vision shortly before the headache kicks in. That's called migraine with aura.

When antidepressant drugs don't work at first, adding a form of counseling called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help, a study in The Lancet revealed.

British researchers studied a group of 469 people who had received a medication for depression, but did not gain relief within six weeks. Half were chosen at random to start CBT while continuing to take the antidepressant.

Which is better to keep your brain fit?

Physical activity and mental stimulation are both considered vital for protecting your mental skills and warding off dementia. But is one activity more effective than the other? "It is difficult at this point to say, because most studies have not addressed this specific question," says Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

In favor of physical activity

A recent study of people in their 70s published in Neurology found that those who exercised the most had the least brain shrinkage and fewer white matter brain lesions, which can be signs of dementia. People who engaged in intellectual activities didn't have the same benefits. But the results came from the analysis of questionnaires followed by brain scans a few years later, and Dr. McGinnis says that's not enough evidence to eliminate mental stimulation as a cognitive protector. It does, however, support exercise's role in protecting brain health, as does another study published recently in Stroke, which found older adults who exercised regularly reduced their risk of vascular-related dementia by 40%.

In the journals

Loneliness might signal mental decline ahead

Women usually live longer than men, so it's more common for us to live alone in our later years. That may not be a problem if we're happy and socially connected, but if our living situation makes us feel lonely, we could be at greater risk for developing dementia, according to a study published in the December 2012 Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.

The study included 2,173 people in Amsterdam who initially had no signs of dementia. Participants were asked about their living situation, as well as feelings of loneliness and social isolation. They were also tested for signs of dementia.