What is brain health?

Abstract

The call to optimize brain health is now a local, regional and global priority. Organizations such as the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Alzheimer's Association, American Academy of Neurology, World Federation of Neurology, and others have developed recommendations for the maintenance of brain health. Brain health definitions range from broad to narrow in scope and may focus on cognition or encompass broader core components such as cerebral, mental and social domains. In this manuscript we will explore various definitions of brain health and its core components, the importance of cognitive and functional domains, and briefly introduce the concept of cognitive medicine in the context of brain health.

Keywords

• Brain health
• World health organization
• Centers for disease control and prevention
• Alzheimer's association