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Although physical commitment is required to be successful at a given sport or activity, mental preparation is the key to victory. When individuals are competing at the Olympic level, those competitors have very small physical differences. What separates the winners from the losers is the mental preparation. Practice builds mental strength through memory and confidence; with this strong mentality, competitors are most successful when they let loose and "go with the flow." Letting oneself go in stressful situations or important competitions is crucial because thinking too much can lead to making foolish mistakes from the overwhelming stress a person can put on them self. Once a person starts to focus on one single adjustment, their performance deteriorates. Entering the "flow" state allows a person to perform easily and comfortably without stress. Practice actually betters the brain through the memorization of muscle movements. In order to achieve success, it is essential for one to maintain an alert state of mind. In this, a person is always prepared for what comes next. Keeping calm in important competitions is equally important; practice betters one's ability to do this through hormone and brain chemistry changes. Motivation also affects performance. Only those who have positive mindsets and strong minds are going to win competitions. Sports affect people for the rest of their lives through the mental changes they experience. 

Alzheimer's is actually a common form of dementia. Roughly 50-80 percent of patients with dementia are associated with Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is considered a neurological disorder with loss of memory, thinking and behavioral function. Alzheimer's is common diagnosed in patients 65 and older with the exception of patients with Early-Onset Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's progressively worsens over time and commonly culminates in death 8 years after symptoms start to arrive. Again no cure has been found for alzheimer's, but certain medications are used to treat symptoms. A build-up of plaques and tangles in the brain is suspected to kill nerve cells and cause a loss of brain function. The loss of nerve cells causes gaps in the communication network and eventually causes a loss of function in those areas of the brain. Although scientists do not know their exact role in Alzheimer's, patients have been associated with an abundant amount of these abnormal structures.

A new study using specially-calibrated lasers was conducted to test the acuity for pain. Some areas of the body are more sensitive to pain than others. The study found that the spatial acuity was strongest towards the center of the body, and acuity for pain and touch are fairly similar. They both correspond with the amount of nerve fibers in each section of the body, except in the case of the fingertips.