Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward
Individuals, families, and societies around the world are concerned about dementia and the other forms of cognitive impairment that affect many older adults. It is now known that brain changes typically begin years if not decades before people show symptoms, which suggests that a window of opportunity exists to prevent or delay the onset of these conditions. Furthermore, emerging evidence that the incidence and prevalence of dementia are declining in high-income countries offers hope that public health interventions can be effective in preventing cognitive decline and dementia. Although the evidence base on how to prevent or delay these conditions has been limited at best despite the many claims of success made in popular media and advertising a growing body of prevention research is emerging. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) initiated this study with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to take stock of the current state of knowledge on interventions for preventing cognitive decline and dementia, to help shape the messages NIA conveys to the broader public about these conditions, and to inform future actions and research in this area. Box S-1 provides definitions of the key terminology used in this report.
