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Better Brain Fitness with Drs. Josh Turknett and Tommy Wood

Hosted by Drs. Josh Turknett and Tommy Wood, Better Brain Fitness explores the frontiers of how to keep our brain fit and healthy, so that we can perform at our best and do the things that we love for as long as possible.

Josh Turknett, MD

Your brain runs on roughly 400 miles of blood vessels, and most of them are too small to see on a standard scan. Vascular neurologist Dr. Jason Hinman of UCLA studies how those tiny vessels keep the brain's white matter healthy, and why vascular injury shows up alongside Alzheimer's disease in at least half of patients.  We talk about:   new blood tests and MRI techniques that can pick up vascular changes years before today's scans do, the subtle signs clinicians tend to miss, and the most practical levers people have   Links & Resources:  The Hinman Lab at UCLA: hinmanlabucla.org/  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. Better Brain Fitness on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-brain-fitness-a-brainjo-production/id1441139485 Better Brain Fitness on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bTSpFGJ38QUx25HW62fC7 Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.    

Your Brain's 400 Miles of Blood Vessels (Interview with Dr. Jason Hinman)

To grab your copy of the book, head to GeniusAndImpostor.com.  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

Josh's new book: The Genius and the Impostor

Henry Mahncke is the CEO of Posit Science and the creator of BrainHQ, the most researched brain training platform in the world. A neuroscientist who did his PhD with Michael Merzenich, considered the father of adult brain plasticity, Henry has spent two decades translating brain plasticity science into tools that actually improve brain health. In this conversation, we dig into why most brain training criticism misses the point, what the largest clinical trials really show, and why the future of brain health looks a lot like the evolution of physical fitness. In this episode: 00:00 — Introduction and Henry's background (PhD with Merzenich at UCSF, McKinsey, founding Posit Science) 07:00 — Brain training vs. cognitive training: why the distinction matters 09:00 — Brain plasticity as the driver of brain health, and why cognitive reserve is really just brain health 13:00 — Maladaptive brain plasticity: how aging actively degrades information processing through negative plasticity 18:00 — How BrainHQ exercises are designed: adaptive speed and accuracy training from psychophysics 24:00 — The transfer and generalization debate: does brain training improve real-world function? 28:00 — Clinical trial evidence: the Mayo/USC RCT, the ACTIVE study, and 300+ published papers 34:00 — The pharmaceutical analogy: why asking "does brain training work?" is the wrong question 37:00 — Who is brain training for? From post-concussive disorder to Tom Brady 44:00 — Brain training as physical exercise: the case for everyone at every age 46:00 — Real-world brain plasticity activities: racquet sports, musical instruments, foreign languages 51:00 — Josh's Brainjo origin story and what music training does for the brain 55:00 — The loss of skill learning in modern life and education 58:00 — The "dark ages" of brain health and where the field is headed To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.   Click here to order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."   Click here to pre-order Dr. Turknett's upcoming book, "The Genius and the Impostor" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

Preventing the Wrong Kind of Brain Plasticity, with Dr. Henry Mahncke

Can a shingles vaccine cut your dementia risk by 20%?  A series of landmark studies — published in Nature, Cell, and JAMA — say yes.  In this episode, Tommy unpacks the research: how natural experiments in four countries produced one of the most compelling signals in dementia prevention, what might explain the effect beyond infection prevention, and what it means for your own vaccination decisions. In this episode: 00:00 — Introduction 00:52 — The new data on shingles vaccination and Alzheimer's risk 01:48 — The Stanford group and their regression discontinuity methodology 03:15 — How birthday-based eligibility creates a natural experiment (Wales, Canada, Australia) 05:28 — Results: a ~20% reduction in dementia diagnoses across all countries 06:52 — The Cell paper follow-up: benefits at every disease stage (unimpaired → MCI → dementia) 07:55 — Shingrix vs. Zostavax: the US natural experiment and a potentially larger effect 09:08 — Why does it work? Preventing illness, avoiding bed rest and disuse, immunomodulation 11:29 — Neuroinflammation and possible immune system "tuning" effects 12:27 — The sex difference: greater benefit in women in most (but not all) studies 15:52 — Summary of the evidence and what it means for dementia prevention strategy 17:36 — Josh's take: number needed to treat analysis 19:15 — Heterogeneous pathways to dementia and why vaccination fits the toolkit 21:13 — Practical advice: when to get vaccinated, repeat dosing, and personal risk assessment 25:36 — Wrap-up and how to submit questions Links & Resources:  Shingles vaccine and dementia studies: Nature (Wales, 2025), Cell (Wales follow-up), JAMA/Lancet (Canada, Australia, US) Flu vaccine and dementia: Neurology (2026) Tommy's book:  The Stimulated Mind  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

Can This Vaccine Help Prevent Alzheimer's?

A recent study published in Nature Medicine claims a blood test can predict when you'll develop Alzheimer's disease, and it got a lot of attention. But how well does it actually work, and should you rush out and get tested? In this episode, we break down the study behind the headlines to understand what it really shows, where the major limitations lie, and what it means for anyone thinking about getting this kind of test. Topics and Questions Covered   What P-Tau 217 is and why it's become the leading blood-based biomarker in Alzheimer's research.   How researchers built a predictive "clock" from blood test data and what that process required.   The important distinction between having pathology in your brain and actually developing dementia.   Who should and should not be getting tested.   What a large Norwegian population study reveals about the overlap between pathology and normal cognitive function.   How biomarkers like this might eventually fit into a broader, more personalized approach to prevention.   and more!   -------------- To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen. 

Can a Blood Test Predict Alzheimer's?

In this episode, we discuss a study published in PLOS One that compared living brain tissue to post-mortem brain tissue and found dramatic molecular differences between the two. The findings raise serious questions about decades of Alzheimer's research built on post-mortem analysis and may help explain why pharmaceutical treatments for the disease have been so disappointing  Study: A Study of RNA Splicing and Protein Expression in the Living Human Brain -------------- To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

An Existential Crisis for Alzheimer's Research?

In this episode, we dig into a recent McGill University study on computerized cognitive training and its effects on brain chemistry in older adults. What you'll learn:   Why certain brain training games reversed a decade of age-related cognitive decline in just 10 weeks—and how researchers finally measured actual biological changes in the brain   The critical difference between activities that genuinely enhance your brain versus mental junk food like Candy Crush or Solitaire   The single organizing principle you can use to evaluate whether any cognitive activity is actually helping your brain or wasting your time     To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

Does Computerized Brain Training Help?

In this episode, we dive into guidelines to figure out what all the fuss is about, whether that fuss is warranted, and whether we should even be issuing dietary guidelines to begin with! Topics and Questions Covered   The updates: A breakdown of the specific shifts regarding protein prioritization, full-fat dairy, and whole grain recommendations.   The visual shift in nutrition: The transition from the "MyPlate" model to the inverted pyramid visual and the symbolism and subtext behind the change.   Individualization vs. Population health: Why a "one-size-fits-all" approach to nutrition often fails to account for individual metabolic variation.   The problem with food classification: Why our archaic food categories generate needless confusion and controversy.   Internal contradictions: Identifying inconsistencies within the guidelines   Subsidies and accessibility: The economic misalignment between government dietary advice and agricultural subsidies for ultra-processed food ingredients.   Communication challenges: The difficulty of maintaining scientific nuance in a public health messaging environment.     To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

What's Wrong With The New Food Pyramid.

Much of what we talk about on Better Brain Fitness resolves around the demand-driven decline model we published. Well...a new study just published in Nature Communications gave that model the best test to date, and the results are pretty darn exciting. So of course we had to do an episode about it! The study looks at the relationship between brain aging and creative activities like music, dance, art, and video gaming. Tommy walks through the study and explains why this matters for anyone thinking about their long-term cognitive health. What You'll Learn:   A more sensitive way to measure brain aging than structural scans   The connection between music, dance, art, and video gaming on brain aging   The effect of 30 hours of video gaming on brain aging, the kinds of video games that have the greatest impact (and why traditional "brain games" haven't been as successful)   What this research tells us about whether cognitive decline is reversible   The dose-response relationship between complex activities and brain health     To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#90: This Brain Aging Study Is Our New Favorite!

In this episode, we tackle a question from listener Carolyn in Michigan about the potential cognitive impacts of long-term hearing loss. What You'll Learn:   The research linking hearing loss to increased dementia risk and what the evidence actually shows   How hearing aids impact the risk of cognitive decline   The mechanisms behind why hearing loss might affect brain health   Practical strategies for maintaining cognitive health when dealing with hearing loss   Innovative technologies for hearing loss that could provide new forms of cognitive stimulation     To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music"   Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#89: How to Neutralize the Impact of Hearing Loss on Dementia Risk

You may have heard the alarming headline about a recent study that showed the typical brain had about a teaspoon of microplastics inside of it. And that amount appears to be increasing each year. In equally alarming fashion, that same study also revealed that those with dementia had over 5 times the amount of plastic in their brains as those without. Needless to say, it's an issue worth paying attention to. So, in this episode, we break down what is known about microplastics and their impact on brain health, and we discuss the specific measures we're both taking to reduce our own exposure to microplastics and enhance their clearance. Because brain plasticity is a great thing, but a plastic brain is not! ----- To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#88: Are Microplastics Causing Dementia?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#87: Hacking the Brain: TMS, Brain-to-Brain Communication, and Predicting Your Cognitive Future (with Dr. Andrea Stocco)

 Click here to grab Ben's new book, "Why Your Brain Needs Friends"! To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#86: Why Your Brain Needs Friends, with guest Dr. Ben Rein

#85: Unpacking the surprising results from the POINTER trial

 Click here to pre-order a copy of Dr. Wood's book, The Stimulated Mind! To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#84: Dr. Tommy Wood's Exciting Announcement!

 Click here to check out James's book, Regenerative Performance.   To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#83: How To Thrive In An Always On World, with Dr. James Hewitt

#82: Why Your Brain Is (Perfectly) Weird: Understanding Individual Differences (with Dr. Chantel Prat)

#81: Your Brain on Caffeine: the REAL story

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#80: Statins, Cholesterol, and Brain Health: Our Unfiltered Take

06To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness Substack newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#79: Does Red Light Therapy Boost Brain Health?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#78: What's More Important For The Brain: Diet or Exercise?

#77: Why Does Sleep Quality Decline as We Age (and what can we do about it!)?

#76: Can the Brain Heal Itself After Years of Poor Sleep Habits?

#75: Can a Long Layoff Really Boost Your Performance?

#74: Can We Train Our Brain To Improve Focus?

Click here to learn more about Bionic Health.  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#73: Democratizing Health Optimization with AI: A conversation with Dr. Jared Pelo

06To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Paper: "Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of menopause hormone therapy on risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia"  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#72: Hormone Replacement Therapy: A Secret Weapon Against Dementia?

Link to the 5 Calls Website for contacting your representative (including a script specifically for this issue): https://5calls.org/issue/nih-nsf-funding-cuts/  Dr. Elizabeth Nance's Instagram: @profnance  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#71: What's really happening with scientific research funding?

06To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question. The book:  Anyone Can Play Music, by Josh Turknett, MD To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#70: Why Anyone Can (and should!) Play Music

#69: How to recover from loss of smell and boost cognitive function

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. Link to the study discussed in today's episode: "An online multidomain lifestyle intervention to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk older adults: a randomized controlled trial"   Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#68: A Scalable Solution For Alzheimer's Prevention

#67: Can You Improve Your Brain's Processing Speed?

#66: Does a tremor raise your risk of dementia?

Click here to check out the clip from Tommy's appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark!  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#65: Tommy's TV Adventure, and how is social media affecting our brain?

#64: Can Hypertension Meds Really Reduce Dementia Risk?

#63: Can You Learn More By Napping???

#62: Can Brief Heart Rate Peaks Still Boost Brain Health?

To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, and to listen to the full sesssion and take part in future ones, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.    

#61: Why Is Tommy Doing Sauna & Cold Plunges?? ("ask us anything" excerpt)

0To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#60: How To Stay In Shape When You're Injured

#59: Can The Brain Recover After Stroke?

#58: Can The Brain Recover From Years Of Heavy Drinking?

In this episode of the Better Brain Fitness podcast, Drs. Josh Turknett and Tommy Wood discuss ketosis, fasting, and their effects on brain health. Topics explored include:  Hhow muscle mass and physical activity influence carbohydrate thresholds in ketosis The impact of fasting and caloric intake on cognitive function, and A comparison of the enefits of fasting vs. exercise for overall brain health     To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#57: Can Fasting Sharpen Your Mind?

#56: Does High Intensity Interval Training Have Unique Brain Benefits?

#55: Is ADHD a barrier to learning music?

The paper reviewed on today's podcast can be found here.  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#54: New Findings on APOE4: Should We Be Worried?

In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing our good friend and colleague, Dr. Georgia Ede, about her exceptional book "Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind."  Here how and why Dr. Ede transitioned from a traditional and largely unsatisfying psychiatric practice focusing on pharmaceutical treatments to now using diet to succeed where the drugs had failed.   To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#53: Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A conversation with Dr. Georgia Ede

In this episode we address a question from listener Maria in Spain, who asks how we might increase neuroplasticity as we get older.    In the episode, we first debunk commonly held myths about the brain's ability to change as we get older.  Then, we dig into multiple ways in which we can enhance our brain's plastic potential as we get older, which we believe to be the cornerstone of preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's.  --------- To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

#52: Can You Increase Neuroplasticity As You Age?

We're delighted to have Nicole Vignola on the Better Brain Fitness podcast to discuss her newly published book, "Rewire," which is all about how to harness the magic of neuroplasticity to improve our mental health and well being.  To learn all about Nicole, visit her at nicolesneuroscience.com. To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.     

#51: How To Harness Plasticity for Mental Health, with Nicole Vignola

50: Can a driver in their 40s win a Formula 1 championship?

49: Can Testosterone Replacement Boost Brain Health and Cognitive Function?

48: How To Improve Mental Health With Lifestyle Changes.

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. Links to Dr. Turknett's books on migraine:  The Migraine Miracle and  Keto for Migraine. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

47: How to reduce the risk of dementia from concussion and TBI?

46: How Do I Know if a Ketogenic Diet Safe for Me?

45: Are Trump And Biden Mentally Fit For Office? The Brain Docs Weigh In.

Click here to read the primary paper discussed in this episode ("Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors in Men With Erectile Dysfunction and the Risk of Alzheimer Disease")  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

44: Can "The Little Blue Pill" Help Prevent Alzheimer's?

What's the research say on the link between cold sores and Alzheimer's? And for those who get cold sores, is there anything that should be done to minimize the risk?  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen. 

43: Do cold sores cause Alzheimer's?

Click here subscribe to the newsletter and get the Blood Tests and Nutrients for Brain Health guide and checklist sent directly to you. To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question. To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

42: What blood tests should you monitor for brain health?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.

41: Is It Harder To Learn A Language As An Adult?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

40: Can Specific Exercises Boost Cognitive Performance?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.  

39: What does Dr. T's brain fitness program look like?

38: Does sauna help prevent Alzheimer's?

On today's episode with have the incredible Dr. Julian Abel to talk with us about the critical role of relationships, kindness, and compassion in human health.  Links and Resources:  "Creating Compassionate Communities and Promoting Health" edition of the Lifestyle Medicine journal Compassionate Communities UK  The Compassion Project, by Julian Abel "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" - Surgeon General's Advisory  Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods, by Shawn Wilson  Survival of the Kindest podcast    To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.  Show Notes: 00:35 Introducing the Special Guest: Dr. Julian Abel 01:22 Understanding Compassionate Communities and Their Impact on Health 01:50 Dr. Julian Abel's Journey into Compassionate Communities 03:04 The Impact of Social Relationships on Health 05:11 The Role of Compassionate Communities in Healthcare 06:33 The Importance of Social Relationships in Healthcare 07:28 Survival of the Kindest: A New Perspective on Evolution 16:59 The Role of Elders in Compassionate Communities 18:57 The Importance of Compassion in Schools and Workplaces 23:14 Building Compassionate Communities: Practical Steps 36:00 The Role of Compassion in Politics 42:31 The Importance of Embracing Complexity in Healthcare 49:58 Closing Thoughts on Compassionate Communities  

37: Survival of the Kindest: The real story of human evolution

Click here to view The Quadrant Model diagram, and learn more about it.   To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

36: What's the long term impact of medications on the brain?

Click here to check out the paper "Could Alzheimer's disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?"  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

35: How does sugar contribute to Alzheimer's disease?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen. 

34: Can you walk too much?

33: What Kind of Dancing is Good for the Brain?

To view the paper discussed in this episode, click here.  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

32: A Surprising Link Between Muscle Mass, Strength, and Cognitive Function.

31: Can Smells Improve Memory?

30: What Should Your Homocysteine Level Be (and why it matters)?

29: How To Build Cognitive Resilience

28: The connection between cognitive activity, brain pathology, and Alzheimer's.

27: Is A Ketogenic Diet Harmful Over The Long Term?

26: What Kind Of Music Stimulates The Brain The Most?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.     

25: What Food Treats Should You Avoid?

24: How Much Skill Is Enough To Prevent Cognitive Decline?

23: Can You Recover From A Concussion? And Should Heading In Soccer Be Banned??

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  Click to listen to Tommy Wood's guest appearance on the Reason & Well-being podcast  Click to listen to Dr. Tommy Wood's appearance on The Drive, by Peter Attia To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

22: The Challenge of Systems-Thinking and the Failures of Reductionism

21: Q and A Round-Up, plus This or That!!

20: Is Alzheimer's a form of diabetes?

19: How Do You Know If Your Brain Is Getting Enough Omega 3?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen

18: Does Cannabis Damage The Brain?

17: How Does Exercise Benefit The Brain (and what kinds are best)?

16: A Tale of Two Studies (on brain atrophy)

15: How To Deal With Frustration When Learning Hard Things

14: How Much Alcohol Is Too Much For The Brain?

13: Are screens harming the brains of our kids?

12: Is eating meat bad for your brain?

Today we have a special guest on the podcast, Dr. Dan Pardi, founder and CEO of humanOS. Listen here to Dr. Pardi's TEDx Talk, "How To Optimize Light For Health." To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

11: How do you promote healthy sleep?

10: What is Cognitive Frailty?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.    Links mentioned:   Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get To Work Viking Waffles Quest Chips  The P:E Diet, by Dr. Ted Naiman   

9: Dr. Tommy Wood's Daily Routine

8: Are hearing aids a good idea?

7: Dr. Wood's Favorite Brain Supplement

6: When is forgetfulness a cause for concern?

5: What supplements are best for brain health?

Thanks to Rick B. for this week's questions. To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.  To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen. 

4: How do we know if it's good for us?

3: Is Alzheimer's Dementia Hereditary?

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, head to brainjo.academy/question To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music written and produced by Julienne Ellen. 

2: What is brain health?

In this episode, we go through the factors that drive age-related cognitive decline and dementia, which are also synonymous with the factors that promote peak brain health and fitness.  Link to paper we discuss: "Demand Coupling Drives Neurodegeneration: A Model of Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Dementia" To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, head to brainjo.academy/question To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music written and produced by Julienne Ellen. 