645: The truth about cognitive decline and what you can do about it | Tommy Wood, M.D., Ph.D.

“It should be possible to maintain stable cognitive function into your eighth and ninth decades. But we don't really internalize that. We expect decline, and because we expect decline, we're less likely to engage in those things.”

Dr. Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist, Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and author of The Stimulated Mind. With degrees from Cambridge and Oxford, he has published more than 100 scientific papers and lectured worldwide on brain health, metabolism, and human performance. He also serves as a performance consultant to world-class athletes, including Olympians and Formula 1 drivers, and co-founded the British Society for Lifestyle Medicine.

00:00 - What we know about brain biomarkers

03:59 - Dementia risk is modifiable

06:29 - Why you should get your steps in

08:52 - The effect of exercise on the hippocampus

15:05 - Muscle is a brain organ

20:42 - Give your brain the fuel it needs

25:12 - Creatine & brain health

27:22 - The convenience crisis

29:54 - The importance of making mistakes

31:30 - How to stimulate your brain enough

33:31 - Social connection = medicine

35:45 - Tommy’s dream study

38:12 - The optimization trap

Referenced in the episode: 

Buy Tommy’s book here: https://a.co/d/0aUGHI9s 

Find Tommy on his website: https://www.drtommywood.com/ 

The Pointer Study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2837046

The Lancet Study: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01296-0/abstract 

London Cab Driver Study: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.070039597

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