Overview
Read full research articleThis study investigates whether changes in brain structure measured by MRI are associated with changes in the BrainHealth Index (BHI), Center for BrainHealth's multidimensional measure of cognition, emotional well-being, and social connectedness. Findings suggest specific aspects of cortical complexity, particularly gyrification index (GI), sulcal depth (SD), and fractal dimension (FD), may serve as biomarkers of brain health across adulthood. Researchers from Kansas University Medical Center, UC Berkeley, and Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas analyzed data from 190 healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 70 years (94 women and 96 men). Participants completed online BHI assessments, had access to optional brain health training and underwent up to five MRI scans over approximately four years using a Siemens Prisma 3T scanner at Center for BrainHealth. Investigators used longitudinal surface-based morphometry analyses to examine changes and then evaluated how these measures related to baseline BHI scores and changes in BHI over time. Overall, the study supports the idea that subtle structural brain measures can help track positive changes in brain health over time and may provide objective markers for monitoring cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Building upon prior research conducted as part of The BrainHealth Project, this research shows that BHI scores can improve over time and are associated with functional neuroimaging measures such as hemodynamic responses. While previous studies have linked cognitive training and lifestyle interventions to changes in brain structure and function, most have been cross-sectional or focused on narrow cognitive outcomes. This study extends the field by examining longitudinal structural brain changes linked to a holistic measure of brain health that incorporates cognitive, emotional, and social domains, and results further indicate that brain health trajectories may differ by sex, with distinct neuroanatomical patterns emerging in men and women.By identifying MRI-derived markers that track with BHI improvements, the research advances efforts toward precision brain health, where interventions may be tailored according to an individual's neuroanatomical profile. The findings also strengthen evidence that the adult brain retains significant capacity for neuroplastic adaptation and suggest that structural MRI measures could eventually help evaluate the effectiveness of brain health interventions in real-world settings.Figure 4. Brain surface overlay showing regions where increase in the BrainHealth Index correlated with increased structural brain health in men and women.
