“You have dementia.” At the beginning of my career as a neuropsychologist, having to say those words during a feedback session after a cognitive evaluation was one of the most painful professional experiences. There was nothing I could offer to patients and families other than empathy and support, as well as practical suggestions about end-of-life planning and establishing daily routines. Recent research on aging, cognition, and dementia, though, has changed the landscape of the field and there are findings that offer a lot more to patients than just empathy; they offer concrete recommendations that can enhance cognition, or at least minimize cognitive decline over time.

While research was originally focused on the concept of “cognitive reserve” (Stern, 2009), the idea that our brains are primarily reinforced against the effects of aging and dementia by innate intelligence and educational experiences, research is now focused on a myriad of factors that seem to be protective. The National Academy of Neuropsychology has recently released a paper in which they discuss four key lifestyle factors that science has shown to have implications for brain and cognitive health: 1) physical activity and exercise, 2) social engagement, 3) cognitively stimulating activity, and 4) diet (specifically Mediterranean-style diets) (J. J. Randolph et al., 2024). In addition, the paper also discusses how sleep and stress are implicated as modifiable factors that contribute to our ability to retain our cognitive functions as we age.