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<\/a>The getting old mind could also be way more able to development and enchancment than scientists as soon as believed.<\/strong><\/p>\n A big three-year examine from researchers at The College of Texas at Dallas\u2019 Middle for BrainHealth (CBH) is difficult a long-standing assumption about getting old. The findings counsel that psychological sharpness shouldn’t be destined to say no over time and that individuals can strengthen cognitive skills all through life.<\/p>\n The analysis, revealed within the journal Scientific Reports<\/span><\/em>, drew on data from The BrainHealth Project (BHP), an initiative launched by CBH in 2020 to better understand how brain health can be enhanced and maintained across the lifespan.<\/p>\n Researchers tracked 3,966 adults ranging in age from 19 to 94, representing roughly one-fifth of all BrainHealth Project participants. Over the course of three years, participants spent between five and 15 minutes a day completing brief brain training exercises.<\/p>\n To evaluate changes in participants\u2019 brain health and performance, researchers used the BrainHealth Index<\/a> (BHI), a patent-pending assessment tool developed by CBH scientists and first introduced in a 2021 pilot study<\/a>.<\/p>\n The BrainHealth Index is designed to detect both improvements and declines in brain health. It focuses on three major areas: clarity, emotional balance, and connectedness to people and purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cThe BrainHealth Index brings together about 20 metrics, including validated gold-standard measures like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, as well as tasks designed at the Center for BrainHealth to focus on more complex thinking skills,\u201d said Lori Cook MS\u201902, PhD\u201909, CBH director of clinical research and corresponding author of the Scientific Reports study. \u201cThis battery of assessments produces insights into individual brain health and change over time. Progress is measured by comparing results with participants\u2019 own earlier scores.\u201d<\/p>\n Cook, who is also an adjunct assistant professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, said the results point to a more optimistic view of aging.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery brain is as unique as a fingerprint and has potential for growth,\u201d she said. \u201cThis study challenges the prevailing narrative of inevitable cognitive decline, suggesting instead that brain health can be proactively cultivated at any age.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the researchers, positive changes can begin long before symptoms or disease appear. Benefits were observed even among participants in their 80s.<\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, we\u2019ve operated under the outdated notion that we need to wait until something bad happens to our brains before we do anything for them,\u201d said Sandra Bond Chapman PhD\u201986, senior author of the study, CBH chief director and Dee Wyly Distinguished University Chair for BrainHealth. \u201cThis study reminds us that our brain is not defined by age \u2014 it is defined by possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the study\u2019s most notable findings involved participants who started with the lowest BrainHealth Index scores. This group experienced the greatest improvements over time.<\/p>\n \u201cThose who are starting at the lowest level appear to have the most opportunity for growth and may be coming in with more preexisting concerns,\u201d Cook said. \u201cAs such, they may be more motivated to invest the time needed to see more growth potential. But it is noteworthy that we saw measurable growth even in those entering as high performers.\u201d<\/p>\n Researchers found that the strongest predictor of improvement was participant engagement. Factors such as age, gender, and education level were not significant drivers of positive change.<\/p>\n Cook noted, however, that the participant pool had limitations. Most participants were white, female, and college educated.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have room to grow when it comes to representation for different demographic groups,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re working hard to increase representation, so we can be even more confident in how this generalizes to the population at large, especially communities typically underrepresented in research.\u201d<\/p>\n Cook, who has worked alongside Chapman for more than 25 years after beginning as a research assistant, said she values CBH\u2019s ability to connect clinical research, translational care, and community outreach. She believes sharing research findings effectively is essential for creating meaningful public impact.<\/p>\n \u201cOne piece that is so near and dear to my heart is helping people link neuroplasticity with self-agency,\u201d she said. \u201cBrain health isn\u2019t just something we strive to maintain; we can actively shape it over time. Research like ours, which provides an objective measure of brain health that people can track over time, can only further boost public awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n Research through The BrainHealth Project continues, along with several related substudies. Approximately 400 Dallas-area participants have collectively undergone more than 1,200 brain scans at the Sammons BrainHealth Imaging Center.<\/p>\n \u201cThis unique imaging dataset provides an opportunity to look at neural metrics associated with the BHI and gives us the capacity to use periodic brain imaging to explore potential brain mechanisms associated with changes in brain health over time,\u201d Cook said.<\/p>\n Reference: \u201cMeasuring and increasing the brain health span across adulthood: a public health imperative\u201d by Lori G. Cook, Jeffrey S. Spence, Zhengsi Chang, Erin E. Venza, Aaron Tate, Ian H. Robertson, Mark D\u2019Esposito, Geoffrey S. F. Ling, Jane G. Wigginton and Sandra Bond Chapman, 2 May 2026, Scientific Reports<\/i>. Additional authors of the study currently affiliated with CBH include medical science research director Dr. Jane Wigginton, who also serves as co-director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center and chief medical officer of the Texas Biomedical Device Center; Dr. Jeffrey Spence, director of biostatistics; Aaron Tate MA\u201918, director of emerging technology; Erin Venza MS\u201913, PhD\u201925, head of clinical operations; and Zhengsi Chang PhD\u201922, research scientist. Other contributors came from the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience in Dublin, the University of California, Berkeley<\/span>, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.<\/p>\n The BrainHealth Project receives partial support from private philanthropy, including Sammons Enterprises Inc.<\/p>\n Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.<\/a><\/b>Measuring Changes in Brain Health<\/h4>\n
Brain Gains Seen Across the Lifespan<\/h4>\n
Engagement Matters More Than Demographics<\/h4>\n
Ongoing Brain Imaging Research<\/h4>\n
DOI: 10.1038\/s41598-026-51403-3<\/a><\/p>\n
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