Staying Sharp focuses on understanding how the brain works and maximizing brain function and health. The program includes a series of live public forums, booklets available for download in English and Spanish, and a DVD program.  Staying Sharp is presented by the Dana Alliance in collaboration with NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community and with support from MetLife Foundation.

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The Staying Sharp forums are dynamic discussions by an expert panel followed by a Q&A session with the audience, covering topics including how the brain changes as we age, memory loss, brain diseases and disorders, and maintaining cognitive function. Upcoming events and an archive of sessions appears below.

Video of a session at the Dana Center in Washington, DC, 2005.

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A series of free online Staying Sharp booklets covers several Staying Sharp topics. All of the booklets are available as PDF downloads in the right-hand column of this page.

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Can’t make it to a live Staying Sharp forum? Watch the Staying Sharp video here. Dana Alliance member Dr. Jordan Grafman is your guide for this 29 minute video covering what to expect from the aging brain and how to 'stay sharp.'

Want to screen the Staying Sharp video for your group or organization? Request a free DVD for your organization by emailing StayingSharp@dana.org with your mailing address.


STAYING SHARP FORUMS 2010

Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, October 16





University of Pennsylvania, Perelman Quadrangle

This event is free; please call 1-800-65BRAIN or email StayingSharp@dana.org to register.



RECENT STAYING SHARP FORUMS

St. Louis, MO
May 15, 2010

1. Short Description: Staying Sharp, St. Louis, 2010
More than 275 people gathered at the Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC) at Washington University in St. Louis for a Staying Sharp program presented by the Dana Alliance in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine.  The panelists were (left to right, above) Alliance member David M. Holtzman, MD, Andrew B. and Gretchen P Jones Professor and Chairman of Neurology, Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center;  Alison Goate, D Phil, Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Genetics in Psychiatry;  Monique M. Williams, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry; and moderator John C. Morris, MD, Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Director and Principal Investigator of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. All were from the Washington University School of Medicine.

Houston, TX
April 17, 2010

Staying Sharp, Houston 2010
A small audience attended this Staying Sharp program including a class of nursing students who attended with their professor who thought the students could benefit from the session. It was presented by the Dana Alliance in partnership with the Neuroscience Research Center at the University of Texas Medical School.  The panelists were (left to right, above) Alliance member John H. “Jack” Byrne, PhD; June and Virgil Waggoner Chair; Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Director, Neuroscience Research Center;  Sharon K. Ostwald, PhD, RN, CS, Isla Carroll Turner Chair Gerontological Nursing; Director, Center on Aging; Professor; and Alliance member James A. Ferrendelli, MD, Kraft W. Eidman Professor in the Medical Sciences, Professor of Neurology. The moderator was James H. “Red” Duke, Jr., MD, John B. Holmes Professor of Clinical Sciences and Vice Chairman for Surgical Development, Professor of Surgery (far right, above).  All are from the University of Texas School of Medicine.

Miami, FL
March 20, 2010

Staying Sharp, Miami, 2010
This Staying Sharp program was presented as part of our partner organization the Neurology Department of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis’  Brain Fair 2010 at the  Miami Science Museum.  The panel included (left to right, above) DABI member/Dana Press author Walter Bradley, MD; moderator Bonne Levin, PhD, Director, Division of Neurology; Ralph Sacco, MS, MD, FAAN, FAHA, Neurology Chairman and Clinton B. Wright, MD, MS, Evelyn F. McKnight Center for Age Related Memory Loss, all of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.  


For an archive of earlier Staying Sharp sessions, please visit the Staying Sharp archives page.

 

 

 

Staying Sharp resources

Dana blog: To stay sharp, stay healthy

Podcast: The Importance of Clinical Trials
From Gray Matters DABI member Dr. Reisa Sperling on the importance of clinical trials. Registry of U.S. clinical trials
Podcasts: Healthy Aging series
From Gray Matters  Presenting the research and life stories of DABI members Eric Kandel, M.D., Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., and Guy McKhann, M.D.
Working Later in Life May Keep You Healthy
In Cerebrum  Denise C. Park theorizes that exercising the brain helps keep it flexible.
AARP's Brain Health web page
NIH's "Talking to Your Doctor" Website 
Alzheimer's Disease: Facing the Facts 
Request HBO's The Alzheimer's Project for your organization.


Staying Sharp booklets

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Chronic Health Issues Also available in Spanish
Half of all Americans live with at least one chronic health problem. Understanding your illness can help you manage your symptoms, make appropriate life adjustments and regain control of your life.
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Depression Also available in Spanish 
Many people mistakenly believe that depression is normal for older people and that little can be done about it, but it is not an inevitable part of aging. Find out more about depression as we age and what can be done.
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Learning Throughout Life Also available in Spanish 
The human brain is a learning machine. But do we learn the same no matter our age? Recent advances in brain research offer good news for anyone interested in maintaining brain health for a lifetime of learning.
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Memory Loss and Aging  Also available in Spanish 
Small memory slips are a perfectly normal part of everyday life. But what happens when we get older? Learn more about what we can do to preserve our memory and other mental abilities as we age.
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Quality of Life Also available in Spanish
How much of the aging process is "normal" and how much can we do to improve our quality of life as we get older? Find out more about "cognitive fitness" and what brain research can tell us about the characteristics of successful brain aging.
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Successful Aging and Your Brain

We all know people who seem to blossom after 50, or stay sharp well into old age. What can we learn from their experience? Find out what steps you can take now to improve your brain fitness, regardless of your age.



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Some Staying Sharp activities are sponsored by MetLife Foundation.