Who 'trains' the mind counteracts deficits and improves performance at any age

"Mens sana in corpore sano'. They were right, the ancient Romans, to say that regular exercise is a viaticum for well-being in old age, also helping the brain. But beware. one can also act on the first part of the aphorism, i.e. by also striving to maintain a 'mens sana'. Because the ability of the nervous system to switch on, to make connections, to develop thoughts, in short to improve performance, certainly does not die out with advancing age. Quite the contrary. It is never too late to achieve important results on this front and we must forget the idea that cognitive decline is an inevitable consequence of ageing.

Saying this, in the pages of Scientific Reports, are experts from the Centre for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas coordinated by Sandra Bond Chapman (first name in the study, Lori Cook). The research shows that adults of all ages, from 19 to 94, can significantly improve their brain performance through targeted and continuous brain health practices. All, thanks to a tailor-made app.

The three-year longitudinal study monitored nearly 4,000 participants using theBrainHealth Index (BHI), an innovative multidimensional indicator that measures brain health across the board, overcoming the view that practically limits the use of other detection systems to considering the impact of deficits or pathologies. The algorithm, in particular, succeeds in capturing the potential for global improvement and, above all, goes to 'measure' when it occurs in three fundamental pillars: clarity, which manifests the ability to think), the ability to connect and thus to have a social presence, and emotional balance, an index of mental resilience. It is clear from the analysis of the results that there is no limit to improvement, as significant progress in brain health was observed in all areas during the observation period. Although those starting from lower scores had the best results, proving once again that one can learn at any age, brain optimisation was observed in all participants.

The study was conducted as part of the BrainHealth Project, a long-term research initiative that explores how brain health can be strengthened and optimised over a lifetime. The interventions, delivered online or via an app, combine brain strategy training, lifestyle advice, personalised coaching and continuous performance monitoring via the BrainHealth Index. The survey clearly shows the value of consistent activity and how small changes in habits are enough to achieve tangible results as long as the training is consistent. Participants who engaged more in 5-15 minutes of daily micro-training and adopted brain-healthy habits in their daily lives scored the highest on brain health. All this, with substantially similar progress in the young and the over-70s and 80s, proving that proactive brain health is only reserved for the elderly. The important thing, as the researchers point out, is that everyone is offered a tailor-made pathway. Because every brain is truly unique with its own growth potential. so the exercise that is proposed must always be customised

Finally, the research also highlighted another positive aspect of cognitive stimulation. There is a kind of 'rebound effect'. And it shows how individuals even in old age use cognitive strategies to recover, maintain or even improve their brain health even if elements that may accentuate stress occur, such as intercurrent illnesses, loss of professional activity, the need to care for loved ones. In short. let us remember that brain health is not static, but can be trained, reprogrammed and controlled by proven tools. 'For too long, we have acted on the outdated idea that we have to wait for something serious to happen to our brain before we do anything to take care of it,' Sandra Bond Chapman, director of the Center for BrainHealth, commented in a note.