June is Brain Awareness Month: How to Keep Your Mind Sharp as You Age
By: Pippin Robison, OMSI (RVU-MCOM Neurology Club)
As an institution dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and fostering lifelong learning, RVU recognizes the importance of promoting cognitive health at every stage of life. This post by Neurology Club member Pippin Robison, OMS I, highlights the science behind keeping our minds sharp and how we can all take meaningful steps toward a healthier brain—this month and beyond.
June is Brain Awareness Month- a time to reflect on how much we have yet to learn about the secrets that our incredibly complex brains hold, as well as the significant progress that the neuroscience community has made in uncovering some of those secrets. We now know that the effects of aging on our brains, although an inevitable process, can be accelerated or delayed by the habits we engage in every day. While some mental changes are expected with aging, research shows that many causes of cognitive decline and associated progression to dementia are preventable. Up to 40% of dementia cases may be delayed or avoided by modifying key lifestyle factors (Livingston et al., 2020).
The human brain is remarkably adaptable. With the right choices, we can strengthen our brains’ resilience and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Let’s dive into what cognitive decline is and the latest evidence-based recommendations in prevention.
Aging vs Cognitive Decline:
Age-related memory changes — like forgetting where you left your keys — are normal and are categorized under age-associated memory impairment (AAMI). These changes mainly affect the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which govern episodic and semantic memory (Lifestyle Medicine (LM)-Geriatrics, 2025).
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) involves noticeable memory loss without disrupting daily function. Attributed to tau pathology and cerebrovascular disease, MCI carries a 15% annual risk of progressing to dementia (LM-Geriatrics, 2025).
Dementia involves significant loss of executive function, judgment, memory, and independence. It is not a normal part of aging.
What Increases the Risk of Cognitive Decline?
While age and genetics play a role, many risk factors for cognitive decline are modifiable and may prevent or slow the development of dementia in up to 40% of patients. The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention identifies 14 key modifiable risk factors, including:
- Hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and unhealthy diet
- Obesity and hypertension
- Alcohol misuse and smoking
- Depression and lower education
- Air pollution and traumatic brain injury
- In older adults: inflammation, vascular insults, neuronal damage
Each of these factors lowers the brain’s cognitive reserve, reducing its ability to compensate for damage (Livingston et al., 2020). The more reserve you build earlier in life, the better protected you are.
June is All About Protecting Our Brain Health
According to the Alzheimer’s Association and growing evidence from clinical trials like the FINGER study (Ngandu et al., 2015), lifestyle interventions can delay cognitive decline. These strategies form the foundation of Lifestyle Medicine, a growing evidence-based field in preventive care.
6 Research Research-Backed Habits to Protect Your Brain
1. Eat a Brain-Friendly Diet
Diets like the MIND diet, a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, are associated with a 35% lower risk of cognitive decline (Morris et al., 2015). MIND diet’s key features include:
- High intake of leafy greens, berries, whole grains, and nuts
- Moderate consumption of fish and poultry
- Low intake of red meat, butter, sweets, and fried foods
These foods help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation while also supporting neuroplasticity (LM-Geriatrics, 2025). Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and B vitamins play key roles in hippocampal volume, neurogenesis, and lowering homocysteine — a neurotoxic amino acid.
2. Exercise Regularly
Just 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercises can:
- Increase hippocampal volume and functional connectivity (Erickson et al., 2011)
- Boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and IGF-1, supporting synaptogenesis and neurogenesis
- Stabilizes or improves working memory, language, and behavioral regulation
Exercise also reduces oxidative stress and inflammation — both of which contribute to age-related brain changes (LM-Geriatrics, 2025).
3. Prioritize Sleep
Poor sleep is both a symptom of and contributor to cognitive decline. Deep (slow-wave) sleep activates the glymphatic system, which clears neurotoxins like amyloid-beta and tau from the brain (Xie et al., 2013).
Recommendations:
- Screening for sleep apnea, nocturia, and sedative use
- Using CBT-I instead of pharmacological sleep aids
- Practicing good sleep hygiene: avoid screens before bed, limit caffeine and alcohol in the evening (LM-Geriatrics, 2025)
4. Manage Stress
Chronic stress elevates cortisol via the overactivation of the HPA axis and contributes to hippocampal atrophy, insulin resistance, and reduced BDNF expression (McEwen & Morrison, 2013). Long-term HPA axis activation also accelerates amyloid plaque formation, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Prioritization of stress-lowering habits daily can significantly reduce physiological stress responses (LM-Geriatrics, 2025).
5. Stay Socially Connected
Loneliness increases dementia risk by 50%, especially in individuals without the APOE ε4 gene (Donovan et al., 2016). Neural pathways require stimulation and exercise (like any muscle) to prevent atrophy. Frequent social interactions improve executive function, language processing, and even emotional regulation.
Barriers such as transportation, hearing loss, and technology literacy (e.g., using rideshare or video calling apps) need to be addressed to keep older adults engaged (LM-Geriatrics, 2025).
6. Avoid Risky Substances
Substance misuse in older adults is often underrecognized but has a profoundly impactful effect. For instance, individuals with MCI who consume >14 alcoholic drinks/week have a 72% increased risk of progressing to dementia, regardless of genetic status (Gingko Evaluation of Memory Study, 2008).
Common risks:
- Alcohol misuse (see above)
- Polypharmacy
- Cannabis with high THC content
- OTC medications with anticholinergic properties
Final Takeaway: It’s Never Too Late to Prioritize Your Brain Health
Cognitive decline isn’t inevitable. It’s shaped by the choices we make every day — from what we eat and how we move to how we sleep and connect with others.
This Brain Awareness Month, take a moment to ask:
What am I doing today to strengthen my brain?
Whether you’re a healthcare professional, student, or community member, the message is clear: It’s never too early or too late to care for your brain.
To learn more about the clubs and organizations at RVU, please visit our website.
References
- Livingston, G., et al. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 396(10248), 413–446.
- Ngandu, T., et al. (2015). A 2-year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring vs control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 385(9984), 2255–2263.
- Lifestyle Medicine (LM)-Geriatrics Cognitive Decline Module (2025). Rocky Vista University Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum.
- Morris, M. C., et al. (2015). MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 11(9), 1007–1014.
- Erickson, K. I., et al. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. PNAS, 108(7), 3017–3022.
- Xie, L., et al. (2013). Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. Science, 342(6156), 373–377.
- McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2013). The brain on stress: vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex over the life course. Neuron, 79(1), 16–29.
- Donovan, N. J., et al. (2016). Loneliness, depression and cognitive function in older U.S. adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32(5), 564–573.