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Experts Just Found a Surprisingly Easy Way to Improve Your Brain at Any Age

BBC Science Focus

Freya Parr

A new study suggests cognitive decline may not be inevitable.

Overview

Center for BrainHealth research challenges the long-held belief that cognitive decline is an unavoidable part of aging, demonstrating how brain performance can continue to improve throughout adulthood. Recent findings show the potential to advance proactive, science-based approaches that help individuals strengthen cognitive health, emotional resilience, and meaningful engagement across the lifespan.A three-year study of nearly 4,000 adults ages 19 to 94 shows no apparent ceiling for brain improvement and finds that targeted, brain-healthy practices can produce measurable gains in cognitive performance. Using the BrainHealth Index, researchers evaluate brain fitness across three pillars: cognitive health, including memory and complex reasoning; connectedness to people and purpose; and emotional balance. Participants across all age groups experience benefits, with younger adults achieving gains comparable to those seen in older adults. Notably, participants with the lowest baseline scores demonstrate the greatest rates of improvement, reinforcing that meaningful brain-health gains remain possible regardless of starting point.“Humans have already expanded how long we live. Now, we are expanding how long the brain can continue to improve, disrupting the trajectory of decline that often begins in our early 30s.” Dr. Sandi Chapman Chief Director of Center for BrainHealthOngoing research points toward a future in which brain health is viewed as a lifelong capacity that can be continuously strengthened rather than a resource that inevitably declines with age. Read the full article at BBC Science Focus

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Sandi Chapman, Founder and Chief Director, Center for BrainHealth, Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project, Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor

Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD

Chief Director Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project

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