Symposium discusses the incredible brain
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Wine, cheese, Grandchildren, and most of all people get better with age. Through the accumulation of experiences over many years, older adults learn from their successes and failures how to make better decisions. They call it wisdom.

This was the theme at the "Staying Sharp" symposium held last week at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia. Medical and education experts addressed the issues of maintaining healthy brains as years add up.

"Wouldn't a Magic Pill be nice," said Megan Stevens Hookey, representing NRTA, the AARP Educator Community. "But the Magic Pill is right there for us without a trip to the drug store. It's packaged in lifestyle choices."

The standard advice for people hoping to preserve their mental abilities is familiar: exercise, a wholesome lifestyle, which includes good nutrition and habits, and an active effort to continue learning throughout life. Hookey discussed the things seniors should be doing to improve the quality of their lives.

"This advice is good for all ages, and especially the aging," she said. "Dementia and memory problems can be combated through behaviors that promote brain health. The brain is not a stagnant organ; it can continue to grow and learn. I call it the Incredible Plastic Brain."

Exciting things are happening in the area of brain research in South Carolina, Dr. Gordon Baylis told a packed audience of several hundred seniors.

"This state has a shameful history in dealing with acute problems of the brain," he said. "But what's being worked on now could turn out to be a model for the whole country. We're standing at the forefront of big changes."

Dr. Baylis joined the USC faculty in 1995, and now heads the "Attention and Perception Laboratory" for brain research. He says a consortium of University, government, and medical experts are concentrating on diseases of the brain and expanding the knowledge of this little understood area.

"A statewide network of MRI Research is focusing on several areas of brain function: diagnosing stroke, dealing with the connections in the brain, working to treat damage and abnormalities in the brain, and a new system for the delivery of expertise. For instance, in DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging), we use 'tractography' to measure the movement of water in the brain.

"By surgically installing microchips in animal brains, we can follow the 'wires' that make the connections. By mapping lesions, we study function and treatment when damage occurs. In temporal lobe epilepsy, parts of the brain are removed surgically to eliminate damages."

Dr. Baylis went on to describe a project to set up a statewide network called REACH- MD, a version of stroke telemedicine. With a Webcam and computer connections, any doctor in the state will be able to connect with experts and consult on brain diagnosis and treatment.

"This project is attracting attention all across the country," he said. "It could be a model for everyone else."

The symposium was sponsored jointly by Trinity, The Lieutenant- Governor's Office on Aging, Still Hopes Retirement Center, AARP, and Palmetto Health HomeCare.