Healthy living
Mind matters
Twelfth Night can boost your brain power
Can’t stand sudoku? Get cross with crosswords? Then try reading a Shakespeare play if you want to make sure your brain stays sharp
Researchers at the University of Liverpool found that the complex language of Shakespeare stimulates the brain to work extra hard, just as if it were deciphering a puzzle or brain teaser.
This is because Shakespeare uses a linguistic form called functional shift. "By throwing odd words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain and catches it off guard in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity - a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things," says Professor Davis from Liverpool's School of English.
The team at Liverpool found that this process causes a sudden peak in positive brain activity, as the mind attempts to unpick the meaning.
The findings have led experts to believe that this heightened brain activity increases the dramatic effect of Shakespeare's plays.
The study involved the monitoring of 20 volunteers with an electroencephalogram (EEG). They were asked to read selected lines from Shakespeare's plays while electrodes were attached to their skulls to pick up the brain's response.
The team are now carrying out further research to discover which parts of the brain are involved in this heightened activity. In future, this information may help people maintain a healthy brain.
Everyone becomes more forgetful with age. However, many studies suggest that there are plenty of ways that you can counter the development of age-related decline in memory function.
How to keep your brain in tip top condition
Food: Certain foods are good for the brain, notably those high in protein, such as fish or eggs. New research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell suggests that consuming apple juice may protect against age-related memory loss.</p>Music: Listening to Mozart has been shown to improve mental reasoning skills.
Mental workouts: Researchers in Stockholm say that demanding mathematical tests can sharpen the intellect. An experiment at a convent in Minnesota where the nuns commonly lived beyond 100 found that the ones least likely to acquire diseases such as Alzheimer's did regular activities such as knitting, crosswords and other gentle mental exercise.
Sleep: It is important to get a good night's sleep because this is when the brain processes and stores new memories most efficiently.
Walking: A half-hour walk three times a week, can improve learning, concentration and reasoning by up to 15 per cent, particularly in the elderly.
In a small number of cases the decline in brain function is a result of something more serious like Alzheimer’s Disease. It is estimated that there are currently around 750,000 sufferers in the UK.
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.