Brain Health Across the Life Span: A Framework for Future Studies
Updated: April 28, 2026
- This Scientific Statement focuses on the role of nonvascular physical and psychological factors that impact brain health, which is described as the optimal functioning of the brain across cognitive, emotional and behavioral domains throughout life.
- This statement reviews influences such as chronic medical conditions, inflammation, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic drivers that affect the developing brain as well as the impact of components such as sleep, gut microbiome, and mental health on neurodegeneration.
- A holistic approach that integrates a framework encompassing biological, psychological, and social factors into traditional medical practice is essential to ensure development, testing, and implementation of interventions across the lifespan to promote brain health and mental well-being.
A Message from the Chair
In this video, Writing Group Chair Elisabeth Breese Marsh, MD, FAHA, a vascular neurologist and professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, announces the publication of the statement today in Stroke and outlines how it expands beyond vascular factors to examine nonvascular influences.