Brain Fitness — Keeping Your Brain Young

Presented by Kristine Yaffe, M.D.

We are privileged to have Dr. Kristine Yaffe, internationally recognized clinical researcher, with us at Live to 100. Dr. Yaffe will talk on her investigations into the causes of cognitive decline and possible ways to prevent it. She’ll also discuss the latest scientific findings into how we can increase our chances of avoiding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Dr. Yaffe is a professor in the departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco. She is also Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry and Director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

In her presentation, Dr. Yaffe will explain why the incidence and prevalence of dementia are expected to increase several-fold in coming decades. She’ll discuss how current pharmaceutical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can only modestly improve symptoms, and why risk factor modification remains the cornerstone for prevention. She will also talk on her extensive research into the causes of decline in certain brain functions with age and possible ways we can prevent or at least delay them. Dr. Yaffe will detail lifestyle changes participants can make to help keep their brains “young” including exercising both our bodies and our minds, balanced nutrition, avoiding obesity, stress management, social engagement, and the recognition of depression. In addition she’ll discuss possible benefits from brain fitness techniques such as meditation, biofeedback and “brain training” software.

Dr. Yaffe received her undergraduate degree in psychology and biology from Yale University and her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Double-boarded, she completed residency training in both neurology and psychiatry at UCSF, followed by a combined fellowship in clinical epidemiology/ research methods and geriatric psychiatry also at UCSF. Since her appointment as Assistant Professor In Residence in 1999, she rapidly advanced to Full Professor in 2007.

Her research has focused on the predictors and outcomes of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults. She is particularly interested in identifying novel strategies to prevent cognitive decline, and is currently investigating the roles of physical and intellectual activity, cardiovascular disease risk factors, depression, and targeted drugs. Another recent focus of her work has been conceptualization and characterization of Healthy Brain Aging. In addition she has examined how estrogen and other hormones influence cognitive function and the correlation between obesity and increased risk of dementia. Dr. Yaffe has also researched multi-ethnic populations of elders in order to determine if identified predictors of cognitive decline vary amongst different ethnic groups.

Dr. Yaffe’s work is internationally recognized and has been published in numerous prestigious journals including Lancet, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine. She is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, State of California Public Health Department, the Alzheimer Association and other foundations.