Can an online lifestyle plan keep your brain sharp? Research says yes

Can an online program help protect your brain? New research shows that a personalized digital intervention targeting diet, exercise and mental well-being can slow down cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia in older adults with risk.

Study: An online multidomain lifestyle intervention to prevent cognitive decline in older adults with risk: a randomized controlled study. Image credit: Pathdoc / Shutterstock

With dementia cases that are expected to be used in 2050, researchers investigate innovative ways to protect brain health. Published in a recent study in the magazine Nature MedicineA research team in Australia investigated whether a personalized web-based lifestyle intervention called Medent Your Brain (MYB) Older adults can help improve cognition by focusing on modifiable risk factors for dementia.

Dementia

Dementia is a growing global care that affects millions and tax healthcare systems. Although aging is the strongest risk factor, research shows that lifestyle choices, such as diet, physical activity and mental involvement, play a crucial role in cognitive health. Studies have identified twelve changeable risk factors, including physical inactivity, obesity, poor diet and depression, which together contribute to around 40% of the cases of dementia.

Previous studies into lifestyle-based interventions, such as the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study (Finger Trial), have shown that a structured, multidomain lifestyle program can improve the cognitive function. Long -term digital solutions, however, remain underexposed. Given the widespread access to the internet, researchers now test or an individualized, online, scalable intervention can influence the trajectory of cognitive decline in older adults with dementia -risk factors.

Current study

This three-year-old, ankle-blind, randomized controlled study, conducted in Australia, assessed or an online multidomain-lifestyle intervention The cognitive decline could delay in dementia-free adults aged 55-77 with at least two amazable dementia risk factors.

More than 6,104 participants with internet and computer access were registered and randomly assigned in a 1: 1 ratio to the MyB intervention group or an active control group. Those in the intervention group received personalized online coaching in four important areas: physical activity, nutrition, cognitive training and mental well -being (aimed at depression or anxiety, if applicable). The control group only received general health information with regard to these areas.

Participants who were working on the online program for more than a year, with follow-ups that continue for another two years. The researchers provided the intervention group with structured, targeted activities, such as training programs, diet plans and brain training exercises, tailored to their specific dementia risk factors. Not all participants received all four interventions – modules were allocated on the basis of individual risk profiles. The program also offered Booster sessions to strengthen healthy behavior. The control group, on the other hand, received publicly available health information without interactive involvement.

Cognitive function, measured using a global cognitive composite (GCC) score, was the primary outcome. This score is derived from a validated battery of neuropsychological tests. Secondary results include changes in individual cognitive domains (such as memory and executive function), lifestyle behavior and mental health measures.

Important findings

The results suggested that a structured, personalized online intervention could considerably improve the cognitive function in older adults. For three years, the participants in the intervention group showed an increase of 0.28 points in their GCC score, compared to an increase of 0.10 points in the control group. The difference between the groups of 0.18 points was statistically significant (p <0.001), which indicates a meaningful cognitive advantage for those who deal with the MyB program.

Further analysis revealed that all three measured cognitive domains complex attention (0.16-point improvement), Executive function (0.07-point improvement) and memory (0.19-point improvement)-statistically significant improvements that promote the intervention group ( p <0.001 for the preference of the intervention group (for all). .

In addition to cognition, the study also showed significant lifestyle changes in the intervention group. Participants reported increased levels of physical activity (1.29 times more aerobic exercise and 1.17 times more strength training than controls), a greater therapy compliance of a Mediterranean style diet (Mediculus Score increase of 8.72 points) and reduced psychological need (K10-score reduction of 0.32 points, all p <0.001). However, no significant differences in Body Mass Index (BMI) changes were observed between groups.

It is important that the MyB program also led to a modest but statistically significant reduction in the risk of dementia as measured by a validated dementia-risk index (ANU-ADRI-SF), where the intervention group shows a −0.53-pointeduction Compared to checks (p = 0.004).

The study also confirmed a strong dose-response effect: participants who completed at least 60% of their assigned activities had considerably larger cognitive advantages than those who had less (0.81-point GCC improvement versus non-complains, p <0.001) .

Involvement challenges and improvements of the control group

Although the intervention was effective, involvement in the program decreased over time. About a third of the participants completed the most assigned activities, a third completed single (1-59%) and a third completed none. This trend is consistent with other digital health interventions.

The study also noted that the control group showed a small but measurable cognitive improvement. Researchers suggest that this can be due to exposure to general health information, which some participants may have encouraged to change their behavior. Thus, the observed effects of the intervention can be somewhat conservative in comparison with a fully inactive control group.

Limitations and future directions

Although the study showed cognitive benefits and reduces the risk of dementia, it does not measure the actual incidence of dementia over time. Longer follow-up is needed to determine whether these cognitive improvements translate into lower dementia rates.

Moreover, the research sample was predominantly white and more trained than the general population, which can limit generalization. Future studies must investigate how good prevention programs for digital dementia work in various populations, including those with a lower socio -economic status and limited internet access.

Conclusions

In summary, the study strong evidence that a personalized, web -based lifestyle intervention can improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia in older adults who are at risk of cognitive decline. By focusing on multiple risk factors via an accessible, scalable digital platform, the MyB program offers a promising tool for population-wide dementia prevention efforts. Although long -term effects on the incidence of dementia remain unknown, these findings emphasize the potential of online interventions in promoting brain health to scale.