What Science Says About Preventing Dementia — and What's Still Unknown

What we know: modifiable risk factors

A landmark 2020 report by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention identified 12 modifiable risk factors that together account for approximately 40% of dementia cases worldwide. These include: low educational attainment in early life, hearing loss, hypertension, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, smoking, depression, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution, and type 2 diabetes.

The fact that 40% of dementia risk is modifiable is genuinely encouraging — it means there is significant room for meaningful prevention through lifestyle and clinical intervention.

What remains uncertain

It is important to be honest: there is currently no proven method to prevent Alzheimer's disease in those with strong genetic risk factors, and the neuroscience of neurodegeneration is still evolving. Clinical trials of amyloid-targeting drugs have shown modest results at best. Brain training, including neurofeedback, should not be marketed as a dementia prevention or treatment — we do not make that claim.

Where neurofeedback fits honestly

What neurofeedback can offer aging adults is targeted support for the areas of cognitive function most vulnerable to age-related change: working memory, processing speed, attentional control, and sleep architecture. By addressing these specific patterns of dysregulation before they become clinical symptoms, neurofeedback may help maintain a higher baseline of function for longer — even if it cannot prevent neurodegeneration itself.

We believe in honesty with every client. Neurofeedback is a powerful tool with real evidence behind it. We will always tell you what it can and cannot do.