Home Care In East Brunswick, NJ

Raising children may help your brain stay young.

A study of almost 38,000 adults finds that the more kids they had, the more synchronized the activity between certain brain regions became. The strongest association between the number of children and functional connectivity turned up in a brain network believed to aid in inferring others’ thoughts, researchers report in the March 4 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Coordinated activity within this network typically decreases with age, suggesting that child-rearing — which involves learning new skills — may provide long-lasting protection against brain aging.

“It’s very similar for males and females, so it’s not that pregnancy effect; it’s really a parenting effect,” says cognitive neuroscientist Edwina Orchard of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Past brain-imaging research on parents often focused on how pregnancy changes the brain. But limiting child-rearing research to biological phenomena can overlook the environmental influences experienced by parents of all sexes.

While at Yale University, Orchard and her colleagues examined functional MRI scans of nearly 20,000 female and 18,000 male individuals who were middle-aged and older, using data from the U.K. Biobank database. As the number of kids parented went up, people of both sexes showed greater functional connectivity in the somatomotor network compared to those with fewer or no children. This network helps individuals interpret other people’s behaviors and figure out their wants and needs — an important part of caregiving, Orchard says.

Parenthood may shift brain region coordination in the opposite direction of age-related decline by providing a complex and novel environment that lasts for decades, Orchard says. But raising kids is just one way to introduce complexity and novelty, she notes. Complicated jobs, higher education and learning a foreign language can also enrich the brain.

The new study, however, cannot establish that raising kids caused the observed differences in brain activity. Other factors that influence the number of children, such as virility and societal norms surrounding parenthood, may also play a role.

Still, the results help flip the narrative about parenthood’s effect on the brain. “There’s a social rhetoric about parenthood being bad for the brain — this idea of ‘baby brain’ or ‘mommy brain,’” Orchard says. But “the cognitive challenges related to early parenthood, sustained across the life span, might actually be resulting in a brain that is more resilient.”

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Citations

E.R. Orchard et al. Protective role of parenthood on age-related brain function in mid- to late-life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol. 122, March 4, 2025, e2411245122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2411245122.

A single-family home that sold for $1.63 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in East Brunswick in the past week.

Over the past week, a total of nine residential real estate sales were registered in the area, with an average price of $790,333. The average price per square foot was $393.

The prices in the list below include real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Dec. 22 even if the property sold earlier.

9. $525K, single-family home at 20 Morton Court

A 1,609-square-foot single-family home at 20 Morton Court in East Brunswick has been sold. The total purchase price was $525,000, $326 per square foot. The home was built in 1984. The deal was closed on Dec. 2, 2025.

8. $525K, single-family home at 8 Princeton Court

The sale of the single-family residence at 8 Princeton Court in East Brunswick has been finalized. The price was $525,000. The home was built in 1950 and has a living area of 1,300 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $404. The transaction was completed on Dec. 2, 2025.

7. $529K, single-family home at 23 Serviss Ave.

A sale has been finalized for the single-family house at 23 Serviss Ave. in East Brunswick. The price was $529,000. The house was built in 1950 and the living area totals 1,328 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $398. The deal was finalized on Dec. 1, 2025.

6. $565K, single-family home at 4 Branco Place

The single-family house at 4 Branco Place in East Brunswick has new owners. The price was $565,000. The home was built in 1952 and has a living area of 1,850 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $305. The transaction was completed on Dec. 1, 2025.

5. $594K, single-family home at 6 Donna Street

A 1,165-square-foot single-family residence at 6 Donna Street in East Brunswick has been sold. The total purchase price was $594,000, $510 per square foot. The home was built in 1951. The deal was finalized on Dec. 3, 2025.

4. $875K, single-family home at 20 Buffalo Run

A sale has been finalized for the single-family home at 20 Buffalo Run in East Brunswick. The price was $875,000. The house was built in 1985 and the living area totals 3,388 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $258. The deal was closed on Dec. 2, 2025.

3. $880K, single-family home at 19 Hershey Road

A 2,497-square-foot single-family home at 19 Hershey Road in East Brunswick has been sold. The total purchase price was $880,000, $352 per square foot. The home was built in 1971. The transaction was completed on Dec. 2, 2025.

2. $995K, single-family home at 33 Oakcrest Drive

A 2,634-square-foot single-family residence at 33 Oakcrest Drive in East Brunswick has been sold. The total purchase price was $995,000, $378 per square foot. The home was built in 1975. The deal was closed on Dec. 2, 2025.

1. $1.63 million, single-family home at 23 Quaker Drive

The single-family house at 23 Quaker Drive in East Brunswick has new owners. The price was $1,625,000. The home was built in 1973 and has a living area of 2,666 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $610. The deal was finalized on Dec. 5, 2025.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — East Brunswick joined communities across the globe on December 21 as millions of people participated in World Meditation Day, a worldwide observance marked by a large-scale guided meditation led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of The Art of Living. The international event, livestreamed to participants in dozens of countries, focused on the role of meditation in supporting mental well-being, inner peace, and social harmony.

The synchronized meditation brought together people of all ages, backgrounds, and professions, many joining from their homes while others participated in group settings. Organizers described the gathering as a shared moment of stillness and reflection, emphasizing the idea that personal calm and emotional resilience can contribute to stronger, more connected communities.

During the livestream, Gurudev addressed participants about the increasing pressures of modern life and the growing need for practical tools to manage stress. He spoke about meditation as an accessible practice that can help improve clarity, emotional balance, and compassion, with benefits that extend beyond individuals to families, workplaces, and society as a whole.

The global observance was accompanied by significant civic recognition. More than 50 proclamations were issued by local governments and public officials across the United States and other regions, encouraging residents to observe World Meditation Day and reflect on mental health and well-being.

Among those was an official proclamation from the Township of East Brunswick, signed by Mayor Brad J. Cohen, formally declaring December 21, 2025, as World Meditation Day in the community. The proclamation highlighted the importance of mental health and inner peace as foundations for a resilient and compassionate township and invited residents of all backgrounds and beliefs to pause and take part in the global meditation.

At the national level, U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi read a proclamation recognizing December 21 as World Meditation Day. His remarks acknowledged meditation as a practice that can help reduce stress, support mental health, and strengthen social cohesion, while also recognizing Gurudev’s decades of humanitarian and peace-building efforts worldwide.

Together, the proclamations reflected a growing consensus among civic leaders that meditation is not only a personal wellness activity but also a practice with broader public value.

Images and videos shared from the event showed individuals and groups meditating from homes, community centers, and organized gatherings across continents. Social media platforms captured participants’ reflections, documenting what many described as a rare collective pause in an otherwise fast-paced and divided world.

World Meditation Day concluded with a call for participants to incorporate meditation into their daily lives, reinforcing its role as a simple and practical tool for well-being, resilience, and global connection.

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EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The East Brunswick Public Library hosted a holiday cookie decorating event on December 23rd at the EB Create Space, welcoming kids, tweens, and teens for an afternoon of seasonal creativity and community fun.

The program was offered as a walk-in and drop-in event, with no prior registration or fee required. Throughout the hour, participants were able to stop by the EB Create Space and take part in decorating cookies using a variety of supplies provided by the library. The open format allowed families flexibility during the busy holiday week and made the event accessible to anyone who wished to participate. Families were able to attend based on their availability that day. Some participants stayed for a short time to decorate one cookie, while others remained longer to decorate multiple cookies and socialize.

The room was arranged with three tables, each set with four chairs, creating space for up to 12 participants at a time to decorate and enjoy cookies. As the children finished decorating, new participants were able to join, keeping the activity moving steadily throughout the hour.

A wide selection of cookies and decorations was available. Participants could choose from sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies and rice crispy treats. Decorating options included chocolate and vanilla frostings, different colored icing, glitter icing, and sprinkles. The variety of materials allowed children to personalize their cookies in different ways, whether by creating holiday-themed designs or experimenting with colors and textures.

Library staff monitored the space and ensured that decorating supplies were replenished as needed. There were many cookies available, and participants were able to both decorate and eat their creations.

Children of different age groups worked side by side, with younger participants focusing on simple designs and older tweens and teens spending more time on detailed decorations. The atmosphere in the room was relaxed and festive, with participants chatting as they worked and comparing finished cookies.

“I liked that there were so many colors to choose from,” said one child participant while decorating a sugar cookie. “I used glitter icing and sprinkles to make it look really festive.”

Another participant shared enthusiasm for the creative freedom the event offered. “You could just come in and start decorating,” the participant said. “I made a chocolate chip cookie with vanilla frosting and lots of sprinkles, and it was fun because everyone’s cookies looked different.”

The holiday cookie decorating program aligned with the library’s ongoing efforts to provide hands-on, creative activities for young patrons. By hosting the event in the EB Create Space, the library utilized an area designed for making, learning, and collaboration. The space allowed participants to spread out supplies, work comfortably, and engage with others in a shared activity.

The event took place just two days before Christmas, making it a timely holiday activity for children who were on school break. For many families, the program provided an opportunity for kids to engage in a structured but informal activity during the afternoon.

Throughout the hour, the tables remained active, with a steady flow of participants. The combination of familiar treats, creative decorating supplies, and a welcoming environment contributed to consistent engagement from start to finish.

The East Brunswick Public Library regularly offers programs for children, tweens, and teens, ranging from crafts to educational activities. The holiday cookie decorating event was one of several seasonal programs designed to celebrate the holidays while encouraging creativity and community involvement.

As the event concluded, participants finished their cookies and cleaned up their decorating areas. Many left with decorated treats in hand, while others enjoyed their cookies on site.

The holiday cookie decorating program demonstrated how simple, low-cost activities can bring young people together in a shared space. By offering an open, free, and accessible event, the East Brunswick Public Library provided a festive experience for local families during the holiday season.

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As far as season openers go, Tuesday night’s game against Monroe was one to celebrate for East Brunswick.

The Bears started the season with a 71-43 win over the Falcons in a Greater Middlesex Conference Red American Division game. It was the first time East Brunswick had defeated Monroe since Jan. 4, 2022, which snapped a streak of eight-straight losses.

It was also the highest scoring game for the Bears since a 73-49 win over Middlesex on Feb. 4, 2023.

“That streak is done, we’re starting a new streak,” East Brunswick’s Sophia Tannura said. “We just really came out strong and we played like a team.”

East Brunswick led 11-10 after the first quarter, but started to pull away in the second. With the game tied 14-14 with 6:49 remaining in the half, the Bears went on a 14-2 run to take a 28-16 lead with 3:44 left.

From there, East Brunswick outscored Monroe 10-5 in the final 3:20 and took a commanding 38-21 lead at halftime.

“We just had to keep up the energy,” East Brunswick’s Julianna DelosSantos-Branson said. “We didn’t know where it was going to go, but we did know that we really wanted it badly so we just thought about that the whole game and just went with that.”

In the second half, East Brunswick outscored the Falcons 18-15 in the third quarter and 15-7 in the fourth for the 71-43 final.

“One of the problems that we’ve had in the past is that we’d come out strong and then we would be comfortable with that,” DelosSantos-Branson said. “But today we came out strong and we were not comfortable, we wanted it and we had to keep up that energy in the second half.”

DelosSantos-Branson, who missed last season with an ACL injury, posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophia Tannura led with a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds. Zoey Aleixo contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, while Ava Catanho finished with 12 points and four rebounds. As a team, the Bears hit for 11 3-pointers.

For Monroe, which advanced to the GMC Tournament final last year, Kiera Longo led with 17 points and five rebounds. Sophia Rivas recorded 10 points and six rebounds while Zoe Wilcher contributed nine points and four rebounds.

“Monroe is a great team, obviously they made it real far last year, they’ve owned us over the past couple of years,” Retzlaff said. Coach (Brian) Hinz is a great coach, so we really just wanted to play hard. We wanted to come in, we followed the game plan perfectly and shots fell in clutch situations."

East Brunswick lost leading rebounder Rotem Barda to graduation from last year’s team that went 13-14 and 9-5 in the Red Division. DelosSantos-Branson and Erika Riggio were the lone juniors and there were nine underclassmen on the roster, including Ava Catanho, who led the team in scoring as a freshman.

This season, there are two seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and one freshman, but East Brunswick is older and wiser after gaining valuable experience last year.

“Last year we were very young, we had a injury, we had players out with sickness, Zoey (Aleixo) was out, Julianna was out from an ACL,” Retzlaff said. “Last year was a good year and it was a good experience year, good building year getting ready for this year. We’re going to come in and take it one day at a time and it starts in practice. We have to come in, grind in practice, make practices as intense or more intense than game day and then hopefully we’ll have more results like tonight.”

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