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It May Be Easier To Strengthen Your Brain Than Scientists Once Thought

mindbodygreen

Zhané Slambee

Overview

Growing research shows that brain health is not fixed and can improve throughout adulthood, reinforcing the growing understanding that the brain remains adaptable across the lifespan.Research conducted by Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas has followed 3,966 adults ages 19 to 94 over three years to examine whether brain health can change over time, with a key focus on the BrainHealth Index (BHI), a multidimensional assessment developed by BrainHealth researchers to measure three domains of brain health:
  • Clarity: cognitive abilities such as focus, reasoning and memory
  • Connectedness: social engagement and sense of purpose
  • Emotional Balance: well-being, resilience and stress regulation
Participants completed BrainHealth Index assessments every six months while engaging with a digital platform that provided cognitive training, lifestyle modules and individualized coaching. The findings showed sustained improvements in overall brain health as well as gains across all three BrainHealth Index domains. Importantly, benefits were observed across age groups, education levels and genders, suggesting that brain health can be strengthened well into later life. Participants who engaged most consistently with the platform experienced the greatest improvements. The article also highlights the concept ofc"brain health span," a framework advanced by Center for BrainHealth research that emphasizes maintaining cognitive function, emotional resilience and purpose throughout life, rather than focusing solely on the absence of disease. Researchers describe extending brain health span as critical to helping people align health span with lifespan and maintain quality of life as they age.Read the full article at mindbodygreen

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Measuring and Increasing the Brain Health Span Across Adulthood: A Public Health Imperative

BrainHealth researchers are challenging assumptions about brain aging through The BrainHealth Project and their proprietary measurement tool, the BrainHealth Index (BHI) — measuring brain health span, the length of time a person can maintain, enhance, or regain cognitive, social and emotional well-being without a trajectory of continuous decline.