The Tamesis
If you’re worried about your risk of dementia, Lauren Sprague knows your fears. Her father suffered a stroke when she was in high school. What follows is a long, slow process of memory loss and dementia. He was only 63 years old when he died.
“So, from the time I was 16, I worried almost every day, ‘Is this going to happen to me today like my dad did?'” Sprague said. “It’s unbelievable to walk around with this kind of fear.
“Every day of my children’s lives so far, I’ve been worried that it could have been me,” she said.
Then she saw Dr. Jonathan Rosan, who told us, “I was asked again and again, ‘Doctor, what can I do to take care of my brain so that I don’t end up like my mother, my brother, my father?'”
Rosander is a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He explained to Sprague that the risk of developing dementia can be reduced by changing daily habits, from dietary choices to the amount of physical activity each day. “It turns out that these modifiable risk factors may account for at least 40 percent of all dementia cases,” Rostand said.
A committee of experts from around the world concluded that approximately 40% to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors:
- lack of physical activity
- smoking
- excessive drinking
- air pollution
- Traumatic brain injury
- hearing loss
- untreated vision loss
- hypertension
- diabetes
- obesity
- low education level
- social isolation
- high cholesterol
- frustrated
Rothstein said a very common belief is that if a person has a family member with dementia or Alzheimer’s, they are doomed. “But the truth is there’s a lot we can do,” he said.
Of course, the idea that exercise and diet are important is not new. But new tools from Rosander and his team can help you understand exactly how much and what kind of lifestyle changes are beneficial. It starts with a simple questionnaire, available online for free to everyone, called the Brain Care Score.
“The Brain Care Score is a tool any of us can use in our daily lives that lists modifiable risk factors for dementia, stroke and depression,” Rothstein said.
Global Brain Alliance 
The healthier your habits, the higher your score. To improve your score, you can choose the habits you want to focus on changing. “This is a guide to next steps. It really provides choice and a sense of freedom in our work with patients,” Rothstein said.
A groundbreaking June 2025 study found that a five-point increase in brain care score was associated with a 43% lower risk of heart disease and a 31% lower incidence of the most common cancers, including lung, colorectal and breast cancer.
There is evidence that what is good for the brain is also good for the rest of the body.
So, where to start? For Lauren Sprague and her husband, Scott, the change started in the kitchen. They increased their vegetable intake and reduced their intake of highly processed foods. (This adds one point to her score.) They spend more time outdoors, which helps with fitness and stress relief. (This can add another 2 points.) She also takes the time to sing and compose, adding meaning, more stress relief, and purpose (while adding another 2 points).
“The Brain Care Score really gave me the prescription I needed,” Sprague said. “The beauty of it is that it’s a suggestion but it’s nuanced and it’s customizable, which is great.”
Rosander hopes this is a prescription we can all share. “The key message we want to convey with the Brain Care Score is that it’s you. It’s every one of our viewers. It’s everyone who wants to take a step forward. It’s up to you and it’s in your control,” he said.
For more information:
Story by Amol Mhatre. Editor: Emanuele Sage.
