Staying in Home vs. Assisted Living According to statistics, 95 percent of seniors elect to stay in their own homes, but is that the right choice? Two national experts debate the issue of staying in the home with delivered services versus moving into a residential assisted-living building designed to cater to social and service needs. (Victor Regnier, ACSA Distinguished Professor, University of Southern California School of Architecture; Jon Pynoos, professor of gerontology, policy and planning, University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center)

Brain Fitness: Improving Cognitive Performance and Brain Health Growing scientific evidence suggests physical and mental exercise can improve brain health and cognitive function. Experts will review the latest research supporting brain fitness, highlight new cognitive training devices and discuss the challenges of determining the effectiveness of these technologies. (Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Center on Aging; Dr. Bill Reichman of Baycrest, an academic health science center focused on aging in Toronto; Steven Aldrich, Posit Science; Gary and Rita Considine, creators of the brain game "Mind Power")

Ending Back Pain Nine out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime. This session will explore the latest advances in treatment for eliminating back pain, including techniques and advances in surgery, spinal imaging, injection therapy and novel rehabilitation methods. (Dr. Jeffrey Wang, UCLA Orthopedic Surgery; Dr. David Fish, UCLA Injection Therapy; Sean Hampton, UCLA physical therapist)

Memory Boot Camp How good is your memory? Test your skills in this interactive session and learn methods for stimulating your memory from experts at the UCLA Center on Aging. (Dr. Linda Ercoli and Dr. Karen Miller, UCLA Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute)

Cutting-Edge Devices Swallow a capsule to image a digestive tract or replace the need for a heart transplant with a mechanical pump called the Heart Mate II. Panelists will discuss the latest advances in minimally invasive procedures and new treatments. (Dr. Rome Jutabha, UCLA Center for Small Bowel Diseases; Dr. W. Robb MacLellan, UCLA Division of Cardiology; Dr. Eric Esrailian, UCLA Division of Digestive Diseases)

Physical Exercise and Cognitive Health Can working out really increase your brain function? Experts will examine evidence of the positive effects that exercise and environmental enrichment can have on brain activity. (Dr. Carl Cotman, Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Amelia Russo-Neustadt, department of biological sciences, California State University, Los Angeles; Dr. Nicole Berchtold, Mind Research Unit, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, UCLA Department of Physiological Science)

Source: University of California -- Los Angeles