In this episode of the LiveCortex nootropics podcast, we talk about keeping your cognition optimal into your later years. We will discuss:

1. Rita Levi-Montalcini, an Italian Nobel Laureate that won the peace prize for discovering nerve growth factor in 1979. Her cognition stayed up to par into her 90’s and early 100’s, and she reported having better mental functionality in her later years, than she did as a college student.
2. What other nootropics you can take to facilitate the production of nerve growth factor.
3. How Uridine monophosphate, CDP Choline, ALCAR, and the Lions Mane Mushroom contributes to NGF and better brain function.

Links mentioned in the podcast: 

1. Rita Levi-Montalcini, Wikipedia page.
2. Nerve Growth Factor, Wikipedia page.
3. The nerve growth factor administrated as eye drops activates mature and precursor cells in subventricular zone of adult rats. – Pubmed abstract.
4. The blood brain barrier, Wikipedia page.
5. Dietary uridine-5′-monophosphate supplementation increases potassium-evoked dopamine release and promotes neurite outgrowth in aged rats. – Pubmed abstract
6. Neurite, Wikipedia page.
7. Uridine enhances neurite outgrowth in nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12 [corrected]. – Pubmed abstract.
8. Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment increases nerve growth factor levels and choline acetyltransferase activity in the central nervous system of aged rats. – Pubmed abstract
9. Neurotrophic properties of the Lion’s mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia. – Pubmed abstract.

Videos of Rita Levi-Montalcini

1. Interview on Nobelprize.org
2. History of Neuroscience interview
3. A conversation with Rita Levi-Montalcini