The brain is the most complex and dynamic organ in the human body.
It governs every aspect of our existence, from basic physiological regulation to higher-order cognitive processes.
It enables us to sense, process and interpret the external world, to respond to our environment in an adaptive way,
to engage in complex social interactions,
and to make lifetime memories.
Brain health
Neurological disorders represent one of the most pressing global health challenges. An estimated 3.4 billion individuals, approximately 43% of the global population, experienced some form of nervous system health loss in 2021, and 11.1 million people died as a result of a neurological condition. The 37 disorders affecting the nervous system were the leading group cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide. DALYs are a metric for quantifying the impact of disease, as they combine the years of life lost due to premature mortality with years lived with disability.
Brain health is shaped by a wide range of determinants that operate across different stages of life. Key determinants include physical health, access to nutritious food, sleep quality, safe and supportive environments, life-long learning, social connections, and access to quality healthcare services Each of these elements influences how the brain develops, adapts, and responds to stress and adversity.
Different determinants of brain health are under investigation. A first aim, we want to provide a comparative overview on the current evidence-based determinants that are significantly contributing to our brain health. Secondly, this project aims to develop a standardized, determinant-weighted brain health scale by screening a large cohort of healthy (i.e. non-diagnosed) people from the general population. To achieve this, a complete brain health screening procedure needs to be developed and executed, leading to a large multi-layered dataset including both biological and psychological metrics. This dataset will allow us to derive our primary outcome, namely the contribution weights of different determinants on one’s brain health, and will help to maximize prevention or early intervention of neurological disorders.