Lifestyle Interventions and Innovative Approaches for the Management of Neurodegenerative Disorders in Older Adults-State-Of-The-Art and Future Directions.

Abstract

Aging increases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) like Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD), characterized by neuronal loss and cognitive decline. Potential preventive/therapeutic interventions also include lifestyle changes like nutrition & diet, exercise, leisure and social engagement. Here, we discuss several lifestyle interventions for healthy brain aging, and in older adults with NDs. Balanced diets like the Mediterranean and MIND diets can reduce cognitive decline during aging. Long-term use of specific nutrient combinations in medical food may also exert benefits on memory. Metabolic interventions like calorie restriction (CR) and intermittent fasting (IF) have shown potential benefits in aging. However, their effects on cognitive function in older adults were modestly explored and remain unclear. Clinical trials are ongoing to test the cognitive and health outcomes of CR/IF variants in older adults with AD or PD (associated or not with metabolic disorders). We also highlight the role of cognitive reserve (CoR) in delaying dementia symptoms. Engaging in diverse leisure activities like music and bilingualism may enhance CoR and reduce AD risk. Finally, we outline future directions for promoting healthy brain aging through lifestyle interventions (e.g., personalized diets, precision nutrition, synergistic lifestyle approaches, AI-based technologies to monitor the effectiveness of lifestyle practices).