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Brain health is becoming increasingly prominent in models of aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.Yet, brain health remains poorly characterized, 1,2 despite the term's widespread use.In some contexts, it refers to the absence of neurological disease(s); in others, it encompasses cognitive health, mental well-being, or even broader notions of resilience-all of which themselves remain tenuous in definition.The growing use of the term "brain health" among scientific and lay communities reflects a broader shift in aging research and clinical practice toward maintaining the function of organ systems across the life course.Similar framings in other specialties, such as cardiovascular, metabolic, and oral health, emphasize preservation of physiological utility rather than the singular treatment of disease.These approaches align with the concept of health span, 3 which prioritizes years lived in good health and functional independence.Within this framework, brain health can be understood as the protection of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social capacity as people age, and as a key determinant of overall health span.In this editorial, we postulate that before brain health can be used as a concept to communicate results of scientific research or a tool for developing and organizing public health initiatives, it must be defined adequately as a measurable, modifiable, and multidisciplinary research domain. A WORKING DEFINITIONWe define brain health as the capacity to maintain optimal function across cognitive, sensory, socioemotional, behavioral, and motor domains, enabling individuals to reach their full potential throughout the life course.It involves maintaining brain integrity, clear thinking, emotional balance, and memory; and is shaped by multiple factors, including a person's biology, behavior, social context, and physical environment.Brain health and its function are determined by interactions between these influences and are amenable to preservation, optimization, and intervention.
Lim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.