What can I do to take good care of my brain and lower my risk for a neurological disease?
That’s the No. 1 question neurologist Dr. Jonathan Rosand hears from his patients (and their family members) at the Massachusetts General Hospital McCance Center for Brain Health. To help answer it, he and his colleagues, with input from their patients, developed a short questionnaire, called the Brain Care Score, that they say can help predict people’s risk for developing dementia, stroke and depression later in life.
The New York Times has adapted the questionnaire, with Dr. Rosand’s guidance, for people to take at home.
This assessment asks about aspects of your physical health and behaviors that Dr. Rosand said have an “incontrovertible” relationship to your future cognitive and mental health. The good news is, all of the factors are modifiable, meaning it’s possible to make lifestyle changes that can improve your score on every question.
While this quiz estimates your risk for dementia, stroke and depression, it can’t tell you whether you definitely will or won’t develop them. What it can do is point you toward things you could talk about with your doctor or work on to be a little healthier, both in your brain and your body.
Please note: This quiz is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.
Your responses will be processed on your device to generate a score; neither your responses nor your score will be retained by The New York Times Company. For more general information about New York Times privacy practices, please visit our Privacy Policy.
