Yet emerging research indicates that certain psychological states may significantly impact on our risk for developing brain problems. This work has implications for understanding how we can better protect our brains, and why we need to consider the bigger, more comprehensive picture for dementia.

The brain changes we associate with aging (for example, memory loss) are far more dynamic and modifiable through the choices we make each day than people realize. Here’s how you can help slow brain aging and protect your brain right now.

But a major new study in the journal Science provides some of the strongest evidence yet that we continue to make new neurons into adulthood — particularly in a memory-critical part of the brain called the hippocampus. This finding not only shifts a century-old perspective on human brain biology but also opens exciting possibilities for enhancing brain health across the lifespan.

For background, it’s key to understand that as it relates to dementia,  brain changes can begin decades before a person experiences symptoms of cognitive decline. Yet not all people with dementia-related changes in their brains experience clinical dementia, and there are major differences in the severity of cognitive impairment, even in people with similar brain pathology (like amyloid buildup). But why?