What Really Prevents Cognitive Decline

What actually causes cognitive decline, and how much of it can we do something about? In this episode, Michael talks with neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Majid Fotuhi about dementia, Alzheimer's, memory loss, and the everyday habits that shape brain health over time. They discuss why Alzheimer's is only part of the story, why some people remain mentally sharp into old age, and what the evidence says about exercise, sleep, diet, stress, and cognitive activity. They also cover ADHD, attention, brain training, and the difference between ordinary forgetfulness and something more serious. At the center of it all is a simple but important idea: many people think cognitive decline is just an unavoidable part of aging, when in fact there is often more room to protect brain function than most of us realize. Majid Fotuhi, MD, PhD, is an adjunct professor of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins's Mind/Brain Institute, an adjunct professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at George Washington University, and is the medical director of NeuroGrow Brain Fitness Center. His groundbreaking, proprietary research has been published in The Lancet , Nature , Neurology , Neuron , Proceedings of National Academy of Science , the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease , Journal of Rehabilitation , and Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports , among others. His new book is T he Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life .

You can listen to What Really Prevents Cognitive Decline online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

What Really Prevents Cognitive Decline is an episode from The Michael Shermer Show by Michael Shermer.

This episode is 58:09 long.

This episode was published on Apr 14, 2026.

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