The best way to test the cognitive development of an adolescent is to go to a clinical psychologist or neurolpsychologist and have their IQ tested. However, in lieu of that route, there are ways to check the developmental progress of teenagers at...
Millions of people sustain head injuries every year, but most are minor and require no special treatment because the skull is so protective, according to the University of Maryland Medical Clinic. But patients who suffer severe head injuries may...
Sodium is one of the electrolytes in the body. It helps to regulate the amount of water in and around body cells. A sodium level that's too high is called hypernatremia, and a sodium level that's too low is called hyponatremia. If the...
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, atrophy of the brain is common in many neurological conditions. In atrophy, some neurons, or brain cells, have died and the connections between them have been lost. This can...
Like the body, the brain can become out of shape and lethargic; you can lose memory function through inactivity. Many have used the term "use it or lose it" to describe brain function; research appears to support that notion. It is critically...
During a pediatric neurological evaluation, the neuropsychologist observes the child and obtains a history of the child's development and functioning difficulties from the parents. Neuropsychologists also use tests that have been scientifically...
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is often thought of as a childhood disorder, however, for millions of adults suffering from ADHD, the symptoms are very real and interfere in many aspects of daily functioning. Childhood ADHD is more commonly...
A comprehensive look at a child's symptoms helps determine if the diagnosis is ADD. There is not one simple test available for ADD. Testing for attention deficit disorder depends on ruling out other medical problems and a thorough observation of...
Stress, lack of sleep and poor health can affect your mental clarity and concentration, according to the Franklin Institute. If you have a medical condition or are eating an inadequate diet, vitamins can help boost your immune function and...
The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 22,020 people will be diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010 and that 13,140 of them will die. Brain cancer can be divided into four stages. Stage I is the beginning of the brain cancer, and...
Dementia is not a disease, but a series of symptoms that may include loss of cognitive function and changes in personality, mood or behavior. People who experience early signs of dementia may fear irreversible mental decline. In fact, depression,...
The key to optimal brain health and function is to exercise the brain as you would any other part of the body for health and wellness. According to the Franklin Institute, the brain will grow through mental stimulation. Such stimulation and...
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid, or a corticosteroid hormone, produced by the adrenal glands in response to the production of adrenocortiotropic hormone (ACTH) in the pituitary gland. Cortisol is essential for the regulation of many physiological...
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that the brain uses to communicate internally. Brain cells called neurons secrete neurotransmitters and receive neurotransmitter signals from other neurons. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that has many functions in...
Early-onset Alzheimer's is a diagnoses of the disease in patients under the age of 65. Early-onset is diagnosed for 5 to 10 percent of Alzheimer's patients. According to a 2008 CBS Evening News report, the youngest person diagnosed with...
Seasonal, food and indoor allergies can cause physical reactions like stomachaches, rashes, sneezing and even wheezing. Although allergies usually are not the sole cause of behavior issues in children or adults, there is clear evidence to link...
Children often begin to exhibit signs that they are ready to undertake the process of potty training somewhere between 18 to 24 months, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. These signs include staying dry for two or more hours,...
One in every five Americans suffer from allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Allergies occur when the immune system reacts to a foreign substance, known as an allergen, trying to attack the body. Allergies can...
Neuropsychologist, author and speaker Dr. David Amen says that the effects of caffeine are sometimes unpredictable. This is due to several variables including genetics, individual physiological factors and unique tolerance to the chemical. In...
The brain is one of the largest organs in the body and it is important to ingest the right kinds of fuel, or "brain food," to ensure optimal function. Many nutrients found in food can have beneficial effects on the brain including improved...
Injuries to the brain can affect normal functioning. Brain injuries can occur when trauma damages the brain, such as from a moving object that hits the head. This type of brain injury is a traumatic brain injury. A lack of oxygen can also cause a...
Most people will experience memory lapses as a normal part of aging, while up to 10 percent may develop the more serious Alzheimer's disease, which leads to progressive and permanent memory loss. Certain lifestyle choices can help slow or prevent...
You may be surprised at how speech changes if you or a family member has a stroke. An interruption to the blood supply of the brain causes stroke, as does blood flooding your brain cells, when a blood vessel bursts. The affected brain cells die,...
Americans are experiencing severe stress. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Suicide Lifeline program, a national call-in line for people thinking about suicide, saw a jump in calls from 39,000 in 2008 to...
Phosphatidylserine, or PS, is a component of phospholipids, which are a class of naturally occurring fatty acids. PS is considered a non-essential nutrient because your body has the ability to synthesize it on its own. However, PS can also be...
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, results from a sudden trauma that causes damage to the brain. It can occur when your head is hit suddenly and violently or when an object pierces your head and enters your brain. TBI has taken a huge toll on...
Every year, approximately 795,000 Americans experience a stroke, in which brain tissue is destroyed because the blood flowing through a neck or brain blood vessel is blocked, according to the Internet Stroke Center. Because so many stroke...
Sensory Integration Disorder -- also called Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD -- is a neurological condition wherein messages from the senses get mixed up in the brain causing problems with the interpretation of sensory information, says the...
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- or ADHD -- is a neurobiological condition generally diagnosed in childhood and characterized by symptoms like inattention, impulsive behavior, poor concentration and physical hyperactivity. Because the...
