Most people believe cognitive decline is a normal part of aging we can't avoid, but it's now clear that early intervention can have a significant impact. A host of new studies have shown that changes in diet and lifestyle can lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. And with an early diagnosis, new Alzheimer's treatments can significantly delay its progression. These discoveries can spark a movement to recognize the importance of brain health earlier in life. Raising awareness among younger generations and tapping their ingenuity will accelerate public health efforts to prevent, delay, and potentially even solve brain disease.
Dementia and cognitive decline can take many forms, attacking the brain and gradually depriving a person of the ability to remember, reason, and live independently. Like most families, I have experienced this tragedy firsthand. While working as an age-tech CEO, serving thousands of families with loved ones suffering from dementia in long-term care, my husband Scotty was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Over the next ten years, my children and I faced "the long goodbye." After he died in 2022, a brain autopsy revealed that he had Frontotemporal dementia and Lewy Body disease, which both have unique characteristics and associated behaviors that could have aided in his care. The discrepancy between my husband's initial and final diagnoses only underscored how much work we still must do.
New research has found that the pathogenic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease are present in the brain decades before symptoms arise. This is a sobering revelation that highlights the need to engage younger generations in promoting brain health. It's no longer just a problem for seniors. Brain health matters from birth to death -- and there is plenty we can do to affect it.
Epigenetics, for instance, is the study of how behavior -- things like eating, sleeping, stress, socializing, and exercise -- and our environment affect how our genes work. Much of aging is epigenetic in nature. By changing our behavior and environment, we can prevent or significantly delay brain health risks and improve our quality of life.
My organization's flagship program, the Brain Health Innovation Olympics, combines all of these elements to forge creative solutions to the most pressing brain health challenges. In an eight-week case competition, five teams comprising the best and brightest young minds from universities around the world collaborate with world-class consultants at the IXL Center to develop innovative, entrepreneurial solutions. Representatives from Sodexo, Kroger, FMI: Food Industry Association, the McCance Center and others not only judge the competition, but also afford winners the opportunity to turn ideas into action by implementing their programs.
An emerging theme from these competitions has consistently been in relation to food as medicine. Good nutrition can help keep the body and brain healthy. This year, the University of Calgary shed new light on the potential for this approach, winning the competition with its concept for a "Brain Food Revolution." The program includes a blueprint for "neurotrition-certified" brain-healthy food for children that can enhance cognitive development from an early age. It also features an AI-powered cognitive prevention and monitoring program that utilizes pharmacy-based AI and wearable technology to monitor and improve brain health. And it outlined a heart-health program that seamlessly combines AI-driven blood pressure monitoring in the home with brain-healthy lifestyle support, offering tailored grocery incentives and community benefits.
Arizona State University's Thunderbird School was a close second with its "Intergenerational Harmony" program that leverages music and art to connect seniors and youth in meaningful ways in senior living communities. These relationships can form the basis of new pathways to create empathy among generations and reinforce the potential for early intervention to promote brain health.
The Brain Health Innovation Olympics is more than a competition. It is a beacon of rapid, action-oriented collaboration that taps into the dynamism and creativity of youth to dismantle traditional barriers and foster large-scale transformation. Since its inception, over 150 students from 16 countries have participated in the competition, and its concepts are being put into action around the world.
We need more initiatives like this, and we need them now. By 2030, the annual cost of dementia alone will be $2.8 trillion. We need a multifaceted approach that combines scientific advancement, preventive medicine, and cross-generational engagement to address the root causes of brain-related diseases. Channeling our younger generation's creativity and collaborating across sectors in business, government, and non-profits will ensure more people understand that brain health is a lifelong issue affected by the choices we make every day.