Extending brain health through lifestyle choices: myth vs. fact

Sunday, November 15
11 a.m.–12 noon ET

Claims about foods, exercise routines, supplements, and other ways to “protect” the brain are everywhere, especially on social media, but the evidence behind them varies widely. On November 15, SciLine and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) will host a joint press briefing at the SfN annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on what research shows about whether everyday lifestyle choices can influence brain health and cognition, as well as whether popular claims are not supported by scientific research.

During this briefing experts will discuss:

• What research shows about intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, and plant-based whole foods for brain health, and which claims remain unproven;
• How loss of smell may be connected to dementia risk and what researchers are learning about protecting sensory function over time;
• How muscle loss and physical activity can affect cognition and brain health as people age;
• Which kinds of exercise have the strongest evidence for supporting cognitive health and what scientists mean by a possible “exercise pill”; and
• How reporters can separate well-supported lifestyle recommendations from preliminary findings, exaggerated claims, and pseudoscience.

Three scientific experts will join a moderated discussion and then take reporter questions on the record:

• Mark Mattson, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
• Claire Murphy, Ph.D., San Diego State University
• Fernanda Guarino De Felice, Ph.D., Queen’s University
• Heather Snyder, Ph.D., senior vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, will moderate this discussion