Title : Brain health factors in aging executives: Insights from Mayo Clinic Arizona’s THRIVE pilot study
Abstract:
Background: Brain health is essential for cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning throughout life. The WHO's 2022 position paper emphasized the critical role of modifiable factors—such as physical activity, sleep, stress, and substance use—in maintaining brain health. Executives, a high-functioning group with unique cognitive demands, face challenges such as cumulative stress, pressure to use substances, including cognitive enhancers, to improve cognitive functioning, irregular schedules, and aging-related vulnerabilities. Despite these demands, research on brain health in executives remains sparse.
Objective: The THRIVE pilot study investigated correlations between lifestyle-driven Brain Care Scores, subjective cognitive concerns, and objective cognitive performance using CNS Vital Signs (CNSVS) and the Neuropsychology Questionnaire Short-Form (NPQ).
Methods: Thirty executives underwent a 2-day intensive health assessment, including 12–18 specialty evaluations on brain fitness, sleep, exercise, integrated medicine, cardiovascular health, and overall well-being. Brain Care Scores were calculated, and their relationship with CNSVS cognitive performance and NPQ-reported concerns was analyzed. Lifestyle factors such as poor sleep, alcohol use, low exercise, and high stress were examined for their impact on cognition. Group-level CNSVS data were analyzed for a potential cognitive profile specific to executives.
Expected Results:
1. Higher Brain Care Scores will correlate with higher CNSVS cognitive scores.
2. Subjective cognitive concerns will not align consistently with objective findings.
3. Poor sleep, high stress, low exercise, emotional distress, and substance/alcohol use will correlate with lower CNSVS and Brain Care Scores.
Implications: Findings will inform THRIVE 2.0, developing tailored assessments and interventions for executive brain health. This research addresses gaps in understanding how lifestyle factors influence aging executives' cognitive profiles and provides a model for precision health care in high-functioning populations.
Conclusion: By integrating subjective, objective, and lifestyle data, this study highlights the importance of personalized strategies for optimizing brain health in aging executives, advancing knowledge in neurology and preventive medicine.
