Want To Prevent Dementia? Ask These 12 Questions At Your Next Doctor’s Appointment.

Posted on 22/02/2025 by Boris Clair

While you’re probably used to asking your doctor about new moles or a pesky cough, you might not be used to talking to them about your social connections or anxiety.

Turns out, there’s an array of topics you should be bringing up with your primary care doctor (or your neurologist, if you have one), according to a recent report in the journal Neurology.

The report detailed 12 questions that patients should discuss with their physician that can help protect the brain from cognitive decline. And while it lists some obvious brain health inquiries, it also includes factors that you likely don’t connect to your cognitive health, like your social interactions and diet.

Here are the 12 questions, according to the journal:

Sleep: Are you able to get sufficient sleep to feel rested?
Affect, mood and mental health: Do you have concerns about your mood, anxiety or stress?
Food, diet and supplements: Do you have concerns about getting enough or healthy enough food, or have any questions about supplements or vitamins?
Exercise: Do you find ways to fit physical exercise into your life?
Supportive social interactions: Do you have regular contact with close friends or family, and do you have enough support from people?
Trauma avoidance: Do you wear seatbelts and helmets, and use car seats for children?
Blood pressure: Have you had problems with high blood pressure at home or at doctor visits, or do you have any concerns about blood pressure treatment or getting a blood pressure cuff at home?
Risks, genetic and metabolic factors: Do you have trouble controlling blood sugar or cholesterol? Is there a neurological disease that runs in your family?
Affordability and adherence: Do you have any trouble with the cost of your medicines?
Infection: Are you up to date on vaccines, and do you have enough information about those vaccines?
Negative exposures: Do you smoke, drink more than one to two drinks per day or use nonprescription drugs? Do you drink well water or live in an area with known air or water pollution?
Social and structural determinants of health: Do you have concerns about keeping housing, having transportation, having access to care and medical insurance or being physically or emotionally safe from harm?

Experts say these questions align with previous research findings and a focus on prevention instead of treatment.

This study is backed up by a report from The Lancet, another medical journal, last year, as Dr. James Ellison, a psychiatrist at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, pointed out. That report found that 45% of cases of cognitive decline or dementia could be delayed or even prevented by simple lifestyle interventions.

“I would say that the Neurology journal is keeping up with the current trend in health care, which is to try and emphasise wellness and prevention and not just response to disease,” Ellison said.

Dr. Tanu Garg, a vascular neurologist at Houston Methodist Hospital who often treats stroke patients, added that many of her patients’ families ask what can they do so they don’t end up in the same situation as their loved ones — and these lifestyle interventions are the answer.

“That’s why these questions are very important, because we are trying to prevent people from having difficulties in the future, whether it’s heart attack, strokes or just, in general, for brain health,” Garg explained.

How do these factors impact brain health?

While it’s clear how certain habits mentioned above could affect your cognitive health (like wearing a helmet, for example), other factors are a little more nuanced ― but are just as important to manage.

For instance, socialisation is a true indicator of brain health. “We are social beings … and there are even changes in metabolic activity and brain activity that occur when we’re isolated that are harmful,” Ellison said.

With isolation comes loneliness, which can put you at higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, Ellison added. “It’s very important to cultivate a social network,” he said.

Garg also noted that those with close family and friend connections can also get more support when recovering from health issues, which is important for well-being, too.

The factors that seem to relate more to heart health, like blood pressure, are important, too. “Almost everything that’s good for the brain is actually also good for the heart,” Ellison said. “When the heart is functioning properly, it provides nutrients and oxygen, which fuel the brain and keep it healthy, and it helps remove toxic metabolites from the brain as well.”

“When the heart is not functioning properly, the circulation and oxygenation and metabolic care of the brain is compromised, and that can lead to cognitive changes,” Ellison continued. He added that one of the most common kinds of cognitive decline in older people is “vascular cognitive impairment, which is a direct result of compromised circulation in the brain.”

Garg said simple, small positive habits, like diet and exercise, can often bring the biggest health rewards. She recommends a Mediterranean diet and said you should talk to your doctor about the best exercise regimen for you, as it varies person to person. Additionally, if you smoke, you should talk to your doctor about quitting, to protect both your brain and your overall health, Garg said.

It’s also important to manage your emotions, and you can talk to your doctor about how to best do that, too. “There are so many different ways to curb anxiety and stress, but people don’t realise how much of an impact it can make on your body and your brain,” Garg said. Research shows that anxiety is linked to higher rates of dementia.

Exercise benefits your brain health and your heart health.

These are questions you should bring up throughout your life, not just once you reach a certain age.

While it’s never too late to think more holistically about your brain health, you should always pay attention to them — not just once you reach old age.

Ellison said these questions focus “on prevention throughout the life cycle, not just in the elderly.”

While cognitive decline is often only associated with getting older, problems during mid-life, such as sleep disorders and unmanaged high blood pressure, can compound your risks for cognitive decline and dementia later on, he added.

It’s also important to talk to your doctor about any cognitive changes you notice, no matter your age.

“If you go see a doctor sooner than later, then we can find things that are reversible to prevent further decline. But when you’re afraid or you’re not sure if it’s the right thing to do, then we may get to the point where you’re not able to fix things,” Garg said.

Garg always reminds her patients that it’s OK to ask your doctor questions, whether you think they’re the “right” ones or not.

Ellison added that not all cognitive changes are related to major health issues, either. Stress, anxiety, certain medications and certain health conditions can cause cognitive issues, too, making it crucial to talk to your primary care provider.

Your doctor can also help you incorporate exercise, social connections, a nutritious diet and other healthy lifestyle habits into your life — because there’s real proof that these good habits work, Ellison said. The rate of dementia in older adults is decreasing. Specifically, dementia rates have fallen 13% per decade over the last 25 years, according to a 2020 study.

“The decrease in incidence has been attributed to population improvements in cardiac health, greater awareness of diet and exercise,” Ellison said.

While these habits may not seem big, they really can have a big impact on your brain health as you move through life.

The 3 Things A Brain Health Expert Would Never Do

Posted on 21/10/2023 by Boris Clair

Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought about brain health. No? Well, apparently it’s quite a big deal. And, there are things we absolutely should not be doing that — I hazard a guess – you are doing every single day. I know I certainly have been.

According to neuroscientist and TikToker Emily a.k.a @emonthebrain, there are three big no-nos when it comes to brain health.

But why? How do these three things affect our mood and brain age? If you open your phone first thing in the morning, like to indulge in highly processed food and engage in a little negative self-talk (my personal fave), then you’re going to want to read this.

Time to cut out morning screen-time

Does this sound like you? Wake up in the morning, reach for phone, scroll, scroll some more and then get up?

If it does, this could be why throughout your day you’re addicted to checking your phone. Here’s why.

Turns out, there’s a science to waking up well, and it’s all to do with brain waves.

When you wake up, your brain goes from producing theta to alpha waves. These tell your body you’re in a state of restful wake, rather than sleeping or extremely relaxed. And, according to Emily, this is a time when you are more susceptible to programming. So whatever content you’re consuming will have a greater impact on your mindset.

The result? In her TikTok, Emily says, “It messes up dopamine for the day so we continue to check our phones.”

*Adds traditional alarm clock to basket immediately*

Put a stop to the negative self-talk

“What you say to yourself matters, and the more you say the more it gets wired in. And what’s wired in is what we manifest,” says Emily.

She’s not wrong – the way you speak to yourself affects cognitive function. So if you’re engaging in negative self-talk, you’re more likely to rewire your brain to believe it. Whereas if you opted for affirming language you could teach yourself to feel more positive about yourself.

It’s easy to get caught up in self-flagellating thought processes, there’s enough going on in the world to make us feel bad about ourselves. From comparison on social media to feeling under pressure to achieve more at work.

Approaching these moments with self-compassion and acceptance can help us overcome some of these negative cycles, as can cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

No more eating ultra-high processed foods (cries in McDonald’s)

Okay so, bad news. Highly processed foods lead to brain ageing, otherwise known as cognitive decline.

In a study conducted by ZOE, they found that those who ate the least amount of ultra-processed foods experienced slower cognitive decline.

Eating these foods is especially bad for you if you’re over 60, but — there’s some good news. Interestingly, the researchers in this study were only able to identify links between ultra-processed foods and cognitive decline in people with a “generally unhealthy diet”.

A lot of healthy foods and naughty little treats from time to time won’t do you much harm.

So, it’s all about balance!

This Is What Happens To Your Brain When You’re In Back-To-Back Meetings

Posted on 09/12/2022 by Boris Clair

If you have ever felt like a full day of back-to-back meetings was draining your life force, you’re not alone.

Many of us dread a packed work calendar. Wasting too much time in meetings is a distraction preventing 67% of professionals from making more of an impact, according to a 2019 survey of nearly 2,000 people by organisational consultancy Korn Ferry.

But it’s not just that a high number of meetings can give us feelings of anxiety. There’s actually research that shows how attending too many — and seldom taking breaks — can cause our brains to work differently.

Study Finds Stress Levels Spiked Amid Back-To-Back Meetings

In 2021, researchers at Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab asked 14 people to take part in video calls while wearing electroencephalogram equipment that monitored electrical activity in their brains. On one Monday, some participants were given four half-hour meetings without breaks, while others had four half-hour meetings with a 10-minute break between each for meditation; then, on the following Monday, the two groups switched.

Among those who got no breaks, beta wave activity increased in the brain with each successive meeting, indicating heightened stress levels. In fact, just the anticipation of the next call caused a spike in beta activity during the transition period between meetings, researchers found.

In a Microsoft study last year, beta wave activity increased in the brains of people who had successive meetings with no breaks, indicating a rise in stress. Beta activity remained stable in those who took 10-minute breaks.

Meanwhile, the researchers also measured the difference in right and left alpha wave activity over frontal regions of the brain — known as frontal alpha asymmetry — which can indicate levels of mental engagement.

Participants who took breaks showed positive frontal alpha asymmetry, suggesting higher engagement during the meetings, while those without breaks had negative asymmetry, indicating that they were more mentally withdrawn.

When study participants had breaks between meetings, their brains showed signs of higher engagement.

“I’m not surprised that people who took breaks between meetings felt better. People who take breaks in general feel better,” said Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert and the author of “Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways To Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters.”

“We all take breaks one way or another; it’s just [that] many times they’re unconscious. By choosing when and how to take a break, you notice the break happening and reap the rejuvenation,” Vanderkam said.

One big caveat to Microsoft’s findings, of course, is that the sample size of participants was small. But the study aligns with a large body of other research suggesting that meeting overload causes unproductive, unhappy employees who feel like their schedule is ruling their life.

In a recent survey of 76 companies, for example, management researchers found that employee productivity more than doubled when meetings were reduced by 40%.

“This is largely because employees felt more empowered and autonomous,” the researchers wrote in March for Harvard Business Review. “Rather than a schedule being the boss, they owned their to-do lists and held themselves accountable, which consequently increased their satisfaction by 52%.”

Making The Most Of Breaks In Meeting Marathons

If you’re looking for ways to make your own breaks more impactful, try to resist scrolling on social media or reading your email, experts said.

“Many people check email between meetings as a form of a break, and I get that,” Vanderkam said. “But [it is] even better to batch email at some point in the day, or only do it between every other meeting, and use those little bits of time for something else that will add joy and meaning to your life, like a 10-minute walk outside.”

Holistic health coach and mindfulness teacher Rosie Acosta recommended a relaxation technique in which you breathe in for three seconds and out for six, repeating as necessary.

“You only need to do three to five cycles before your body starts to respond and release tension,” she said. “Most of us sit at computers a lot. So if you do sit, perhaps use this time to stand and stretch. The biggest way to reset is to shut down the distractions.”

And if you’re a manager, try setting your teams up for success by avoiding marathon meeting days and building in more breaks.

“To make 10-minute breaks work, it’s helpful for organisations to set a culture that meetings start at, say, the hour and end 10-15 minutes early,” Vanderkam said. “That allows for a break or a ‘passing period’ like in a high school for people who need to travel.”

The big takeaway? It’s better to take a short breather than to power through a slew of meetings, as even a few minutes can make a big difference in our stress levels and ability to focus.

“When we are laser-focused on a task, we tend to create tension in our body, we stop breathing, and we stay in that tension throughout the day,” Acosta said. “If we are able to take short breaks to either do some breathing or even just relaxing of your shoulders, it gives your body the space it needs to feel relaxed.”

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