Health-Promoting Strategies for the Aging Brain

Stephen T Chen; Dax Volle; Jason Jalil; Pauline Wu; Gary W Small

doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2018.12.016

Health-Promoting Strategies for the Aging Brain

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019 Mar;27(3):213-236. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2018.12.016. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Authors

Stephen T Chen¹, Dax Volle², Jason Jalil², Pauline Wu², Gary W Small²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles; the University of California, Los Angeles, Longevity Center, Los Angeles; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles. Electronic address: stephenchen@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles; the University of California, Los Angeles, Longevity Center, Los Angeles; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles.

PMID: 30686664
DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2018.12.016

Abstract

As the world's population ages and people live longer, the changes in the aging brain present substantial challenges to our health and society. With greater longevity come age-related diseases, many of which have direct and indirect influences on the health of the brain. Although there is some degree of predictable decline in brain functioning with aging, meaningful cognitive decline is not inevitable and is perhaps preventable. In this review, we present the case that the course of aging-related brain disease and dysfunction can be modified. We present the evidence for conditions and risk factors that may contribute to cognitive decline and dementia and for interventions that may mitigate their impact on cognitive functioning later in life, or even prevent them and their cognitive sequelae from developing. Although much work remains to be done to meet the challenges of the aging brain, strategies to promote its health have been demonstrated and offer much promise, which can only be realized if we mount a vigorous public health effort to implement these strategies.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; Brain health; cognition; dementia risk; memory; normal aging.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Aged
Brain / physiology*
Cognition
Cognitive Aging*
Cognitive Dysfunction / prevention & control*
Dementia / prevention & control
Dementia / psychology
Health Promotion / methods*
Humans
Life Style