It’s probably no secret that our brain’s aging is dependent on both our genetics and lifestyle practices. Some of the lifestyle practices that research has linked to how our brain ages include exercise, avoiding tobacco, and playing an instrument or speaking a second language. A review paper published Thursday in the journal Genomic Psychiatry  suggests that about half of the variability in older adults’ cognition may be associated with characteristics from their younger years, even as young as age 11.

However, some adult lifestyle factors did appear to be linked to improved cognitive performance and slower brain aging. These include keeping physically and mentally active and engaged, having few ‘vascular’ risk factors (such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, BMI), speaking a second language, and playing musical instruments. When considered all together, these practices can explain about 20% of the differences seen in cognitive declines between the ages of 70 to 82.

MRI scans of the participants were taken when they were 73 years old. One of the most striking things about the study was how wide the differences were between their scans. Some brains looked perfectly healthy (and not that dissimilar from scans of 30 or 40 year-old brains), while  others showed much shrinkage and damage to the white matter connections (the tissue that connects brain cells and the rest of the nervous system).  Decreasedor damaged white matter can slow the brain’s ability to process information.

Older adults whose memory appears to be as sharp as that of people 20 or 30 years younger have been referred to as cognitive “SuperAgers” (https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/4-habits-super-agers).  A SuperAger is someone aged 80 or older who exhibits cognitive function comparable to an average middle-aged person. Researchers at Northwestern Medicine are trying to identify common characteristics of this small group of individuals in hopes of making all of us proactive about adopting habits that may help us slow our own cognitive decline.

Much of the recent and current research on cognition is focused on key differences in lifestyle that may contribute to differences in brain aging. Both a lack of sufficient deep sleep, as well as depression, are risk factors for developing dementia. In addition, numerous studies have shown that getting regular exercise and eating a heart-healthy diet, such as a Mediterranean or the MIND diet, can help slow brain aging and reduce dementia risk. 

A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, describes a tool named the Brain Care Score which was developed to help assess a person’s risk of developing dementia or having a stroke as they age. The 21-point score reflects how a person fares on 12 health-related factors concerning physical, lifestyle and social-emotional components of health. Those 12 factors are blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index, nutrition, alcohol consumption, smoking, aerobic activities, sleep, stress, social relationships and finding meaning or purpose in life. The researchers found that participants with a higher score had a lower risk of dementia or stroke later in life.