Linking Movement and Brain Health - UsAgainstAlzheimer’s [Podcast Series]

• [:54] Dr. Bantham introduces her guest, Kelly O’Brien

  • Kelly is the Executive Director of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Brain Health Partnership.

  • She is also a certified personal trainer and meditation teacher.

• [1:17] Preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease

  • “And the reason I was excited about this is it’s really over the last decade that we have been learning from science about the kinds of things that we can do to actually age cognitively healthy and cognitively strong. That Alzheimer's and dementia, it's really not inevitable...”

• [5:20] Empowering people to reduce risk

  • “So I just think there's just a ton of reason to be excited and hopeful about this from a very personal agency level to health plans in the health system, thinking about this from a financial and sort of systems approach that this is an opportunity to really right a ship that is not headed in the right direction at the moment.”

• [8:37] Linking movement and brain health

  • “And so physical activity, I think, is one of the most important. It's also one of the most scientifically backed and researched interventions. Dozens and dozens and dozens of studies have confirmed over and over and over again, that consistent and increased physical activity can actually reduce your risk of dementia and improve your cognitive performance.”

  • “But the bottom line is, when you exercise, you're increasing blood flow to your brain, and particularly your hippocampus, which is where memory operates from. And so consistent physical activity is a really important element in healthy aging, including in reducing your risk of dementia. Also, obviously, in addressing diabetes and hypertension and other conditions and obesity as well.” 

• [11:43] Physical activity referrals/prescriptions

  • “And that's the sort of thing that's really, it connects what's happening in the doctor's office, or the nurses, PA’s conversation with real life. Because we all know how hard it is. We know...it's very challenging, lifestyle change. And it takes support, it cannot be...it's so difficult to do it on your own. And so these kind of referrals and connections, I think, are just starting to happen. And I think there's just an immense opportunity for that.”

• [14:58] Linking clinic and community

  • “They're not set up for that. We need to link people to the community to solve these problems. Like it can't all happen in the doctor's office. It's just not maybe the right place. Maybe it starts there. But it can't begin, middle and end there.”

• [17:20] Advocacy

  • “And to me, it just is another clarion call for how we have to all work together on these things in service of all of our boats, right? Like, I think the way that the advocacy community has been set up is kind of by no fault of its own a victim of the way the funding streams have been.  So there's the heart people and the diabetes people and the dementia people and, and the fact is, we're all doing the same thing. And we've got to start working together better, and I think that’s happening.”

• [19:39] Cross-sector collaboration

  • “So that's where I'm really excited about that bridge being made. And I'd be lying if I said I had the perfect answer to how to do it, but I am committed to moving in that direction.”

• [21:24] Across the lifespan

  • “AARP did a recent, an amazing survey on stigma, and one of the things they found is that people were more likely to make lifestyle changes—like increased physical activity and better nutrition and addressing all these conditions that we've just discussed—if they knew or if they thought that it might help them avoid dementia.”

• [25:07] Brain health screening and digital health

  • “I had to go into the, a hospital at one point for an COVID test. They sent me a link to a form I had to fill out online. I'm filling out information online that goes into my EHR. When I get there, it pops up in my record. Like, why couldn't we do a brain health screen at home? Right? I'm just sort of thinking here out of the box, like this stuff doesn't have to happen on paper and pen in the clinician’s office. Why couldn't it happen in the waiting room?”

• [27:31] Talking to physicians about risk reduction

  • “And I think, you know, call the question.  And sometimes your doctor—and this happened to me—will say, oh, you're young, don't worry, you don't have symptoms. Don't accept that. Right?  Okay, how can I reduce my risk? Right? And they may not know the answer, but they're gonna look it up.”

• [28:46] Calls to action

  • “I think we need more education and better conversations about what health payers and providers can do around this in creative and interesting ways. So I think that's also a call to action is to take a look under the hood and see where are the unique opportunities to do this.”