Published: April 14, 2020, 7 a.m.
Let's say you have decided to do some work to protect your brain from cognitive decline and dementia. What kind of programs or interventions should you use? This episode reviews MINDRAMP's analysis of the type of brain health programs that work and why.
In short, the evidence shows that effective brain health interventions focus on:
- PREVENTION - effective programs take a preventive rather than a curative approach
- BEHAVIOR - they focus on behavior change and lifestyle management
- RISK-MANAGEMENT - they work to lower risk factors and optimize protective factors
- MINDRAMP'S RULE OF THE Cs states that effective brain health programs:
- CAUSES - Target the causes of decline and disease, not just symptoms
- COMBINATORIAL - Combine multiple interventions to address multifactorial causes.
- CUSTOMIZED - Custom-tailored interventions to each individual
- CONTINUAL - Require continual behavior and lifestyle changes that can be sustained across the lifespan.