They say animal studies have proven that MgT effectively crosses the blood-brain barrier to inhibit calcium flux in brain neurons.

Scientists studied two groups of rats to determine the supplement’s effect on memory. Both groups were fed normal diets containing a healthy amount of magnesium from natural sources. One group, however, was also given MgT supplements in addition.

Behavioral tests showed that cognitive functioning improved in the rats in who received the supplements. These animals also demonstrated an increase of synapses in the brain, according to researchers involved in the study.

They say the results indicate that the new compound improves permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

"Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, but today half of all people in industrialized countries are living with magnesium deficiencies that may generally impair human health, including cognitive functioning," said lead researcher Dr. Inna Slutsky.

Dietary sources of magnesium include green leaves, broccoli, almonds, cashews and fruit.

Taking MgT supplements and increasing magnesium in the diet may help improve memory and delay dementia and other age-related cognitive malfunctions, according to Dr. Slutsky.

Researchers from the University of Washington at Seattle analyzed data from a study that was conducting cognitive testing on older adults, and examined administrative data from hospitalizations to determine whether hospitalizations for acute illness or critical illness were associated with cognitive decline and dementia.

The study included data on 2,929 individuals 65 years old and older without dementia at the beginning of the study. Cognition was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) every two years at follow-up visits, and those with scores below a certain point underwent a clinical examination for dementia.

They found that individuals who were hospitalized for non-critical illnesses were significantly more likely to suffer from dementia. In addition, they found that patients who had a hospitalization for an acute care or critical illness had lower CASI scores during follow-up tests compared to those who were not hospitalized.

Activities such as reading, playing board games, social networking, and physical activity such as walking and routine exercising are believed to help prevent cognitive decline.

Nutritional supplements that are believed to help boost cognitive function include coenzyme-Q10, gingko biloba, coral calcium, huperzine A and omega-3 fatty acids.

Researchers involved in the study analyzed Medicare data on 625 elderly individuals. They found that those with poor vision who visited an ophthalmologist at least once for an examination were 64 percent less likely to develop dementia, compared to those who did not seek medical care for vision problems.

Proper vision is a requirement for many of the activities that previously have been found to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. These include reading, playing board games, other mentally stimulating activities, social networking, as well as physical activity such as walking and routine exercising. A visual disorder may interfere with normal mobility and may also hinder a person’s ability to participate in such activities.

The types of vision treatment that were helpful in lowering the risk of dementia were surgery to correct cataracts and treatments for glaucoma, retinal disorders and other eye-related problems.

The Alzheimer’s Association says several nutritional supplements are believed to enhance memory and slow the progression of the disease. They include coenzyme-Q10, gingko biloba, coral calcium, huperzine A and omega-3 fatty acids.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied more than 900 men and women between the ages of 60 and 75 with type 2 diabetes. They evaluated participants’ mental abilities with a range of tests, including memory function and how quickly they processed information. The findings were then compared with general intelligence levels to determine whether participants’ brain function had diminished over time. They found that brain function slowed in subjects with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

"This study shows that older people with diabetes who have higher levels of stress hormones in their blood are more likely to have experienced cognitive decline," said researcher Dr. Rebecca Reynolds. "It may be that by regulating cortisol levels, we could help improve cognitive decline in patients with type 2 diabetes."

Exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy, balanced diet are among the best ways to prevent diabetes and control blood sugar levels naturally.

Natural methods of reducing stress include exercise, relaxation and breathing exercises, tai chi, yoga and meditation.

Researchers studied 990 adults with an average age of 83 over a five year period. They found that among patients with executive dysfunction only, the presence of hypertension was associated with a 57.7 percent risk of developing dementia, compared to a 28 percent risk among those without high blood pressure.

Other types of cognitive impairment, such as memory dysfunction, did not progress to full-blown dementia based on the presence of hypertension, however.

The study’s authors note that hypertension is a major risk factor for vascular brain diseases and vascular cognitive impairment.

"The presence of hypertension predicts progression to dementia in a subgroup of about one-third of subjects with cognitive impairment," they conclude. "Control of hypertension in this population could decrease by one-half the projected 50 percent five-year rate of progression to dementia."

According to the American Heart Association, hypertension increases the risk for heart attack, angina, stroke, kidney failure and peripheral artery disease. In addition to lifestyle changes like weight loss and exercise, supplements containing potassium, calcium, fish oil, magnesium and garlic may help prevent it.

Researchers in Sweden conducted three different mental tests on 930 men around the age of 70 without a history of stroke, and followed their progress for a period of 13 years.

They found that participants in the bottom 25 percent of performers on the test that measured the ability to execute and modify a plan were three times more likely to have a stroke or a brain infarction compared to those who scored among the top 25 percent of performers on the same test. The other two tests the men took did not seem to help predict probability of stroke.

"Our results support the idea that cognitive decline regardless of whether a person has dementia may predict risk of stroke," said study author Dr. Bernice Wiberg.

Wiberg adds that more research is needed to determine whether this inexpensive test could be used to identify individuals who are at a higher risk of having a stroke so that preventative measures could be taken.

According to the National Stroke Association, the best ways to prevent stroke include controlling hypertension, avoiding smoking, eating a low-fat diet and exercising.

Researchers at New York University evaluated the effect of rest on the memories of 16 study participants. The subjects were shown images of objects with faces and were then told to rest while scientists monitored parts of the brain known to play a significant role in memory – the hippocampus and cortical regions.

The study found that these brain regions remained active during participants’ rest periods, suggesting that the brain was working to "cement" the memories.

"Your brain is working for you when you are resting, so rest is important for memory and cognitive function," said the study’s lead author, Dr. Lila Davachi. "Your brain wants you to tune out other tasks so you can tune in to what you just learned."

Besides taking a break, healthcare experts suggest taking certain nutritional supplements to help boost memory. They include vitamins B6, B12, C and E as well as gingko, ginseng, huperzine A and pomegranate.

The study’s results are published in the recent issue of the journal Neuron.

After their initial discovery that magnesium helped to enhance learning and memory, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, developed a new magnesium compound – magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) – that is more effective than conventional oral supplements at boosting magnesium in the brain, and tested it on rats.

"We found that elevation of brain magnesium led to significant enhancement of spatial and associative memory in both young and aged rats," said researcher Guosong Liu "Half the population of the industrialized countries has a magnesium deficit, which increases with aging. If normal or even higher levels of magnesium can be maintained, we may be able to significantly slow age-related loss of cognitive function and perhaps prevent or treat diseases that affect cognitive function."

Magnesium is found in dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach and in some fruits. It is also available in nutritional supplement form. Those who get less than 400 milligrams daily are at risk for allergies, asthma and heart disease, among other conditions.

The first study reviewed the effects of resistance training on women’s cognitive skills. Researchers studied 155 women between the ages of 65 and 75. They found that those who participated in resistance training once or twice each week for one year were able to improve their mental focus and conflict resolution skills as well as improve their muscular function.

"This has important clinical implications because cognitive impairment is a major health problem that currently lacks a clearly effective pharmaceutical therapy and because resistance training is not widely adopted by seniors," the authors write.

The second study found that moderate or high physical activity performed regularly for two years was associated with a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment in older adults.

Researchers in Germany examined physical activity and cognitive function in 3,903 participants over the age of 55. They found that exercise including aerobic exercise, strength training and dancing, could delay or prevent declines in cognitive function.

Among the nutritional supplements believed to aid in cognitive ability are vitamin E, gingko biloba, ginseng, gotu kola and passion flower.

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that drinking blueberry juice can boost memory.

According to Time magazine, researchers recruited 16 participants with an average age of 78 for the study. Nine volunteers were asked to drink about two cups of blueberry juice every day for 12 weeks, while the remaining volunteers drank a placebo instead.

They found that the blueberry-juice drinkers showed significantly better performance on two memory tests compared to the control group. In addition, the individuals who drank the juice had improved test scores at the end of the study period.

Researchers say all of the participants reported experiencing age-related cognitive problems prior to the study.

Researchers tell WebMD that there were also trends suggesting reduced symptoms of depression and lower glucose levels among the wild blueberry juice drinkers, but further research will be needed to confirm the results.

Blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium and vitamin C, and previous studies have shown they can lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nutritional supplements containing coenzyme-Q10, gingko biloba, coral calcium, huperzine A and omega-3 fatty acids are also believed to help boost memory.