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Funding: Brain Health Scotland, who are overseeing the development of Brain Health Services within NHS Scotland, are funded through a grant from the Scottish Government. Brain Health Scotland is hosted legally within Alzheimer Scotland who received this grant ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF

In order to address the oft-cited societal, economic, and health and social care impacts of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, we must move decisively from reactive to proactive clinical practice and to embed evidence-based brain health education throughout society. Most disease processes can be at least partially prevented, slowed, or reversed. We have long neglected to intervene in neurodegenerative disease processes, largely due to a misconception that their predominant symptom — cognitive decline — is a normal, age-related process, but also due to a lack of multi-disciplinary collaboration. We now understand that there are modifiable risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases, that successful management of common comorbidities (such as diabetes and hypertension) can reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative disease, and that disease processes begin (and, crucially, can be detected, reduced, and delayed, prevented, or treated) decades earlier in life than had previously been appreciated. Brain Health Scotland, established by Scottish Government and working in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, propose far-reaching public health and clinical practice approaches to reduce neurodegenerative disease incidence. Focusing here on Brain Health Scotland's clinical offerings, we present the Scottish Model for Brain Health Services. To our knowledge, the Scottish Model for Brain Health, built on foundations of personalised risk profiling, targeted risk reduction and prevention, early disease detection, equity of access, and harnessing comprehensive data to assist in clinical decision-making, marks the first example of a nationwide approach to overhauling clinical, societal, and political approaches to the prevention, assessment, and treatment of neurodegenerative disease.

Growing evidence suggests dementia incidence can be reduced through prevention programs targeting risk factors. To accelerate the implementation of such prevention programs, a new generation of brain health services (BHS) is envisioned, involving risk profiling, risk communication, risk reduction, and cognitive enhancement. The purpose of risk communication is to enable individuals at risk to make informed decisions and take action to protect themselves and is thus a crucial step in tailored prevention strategies of the dementia incidence. However, communicating about dementia risk is complex and challenging.In this paper, we provide an overview of (i) perspectives on communicating dementia risk from an ethical, clinical, and societal viewpoint; (ii) insights gained from memory clinical practice; (iii) available evidence on the impact of disclosing APOE and Alzheimer's disease biomarker test results gathered from clinical trials and observational studies; (iv) the value of established registries in light of BHS; and (v) practical recommendations regarding effective strategies for communicating about dementia risk.In addition, we identify challenges, i.e., the current lack of evidence on what to tell on an individual level-the actual risk-and on how to optimally communicate about dementia risk, especially concerning worried yet cognitively unimpaired individuals. Ideally, dementia risk communication strategies should maximize the desired impact of risk information on individuals' understanding of their health/disease status and risk perception and minimize potential harms. More research is thus warranted on the impact of dementia risk communication, to (1) evaluate the merits of different approaches to risk communication on outcomes in the cognitive, affective and behavioral domains, (2) develop an evidence-based, harmonized dementia risk communication protocol, and (3) develop e-tools to support and promote adherence to this protocol in BHSs.Based on the research reviewed, we recommend that dementia risk communication should be precise; include the use of absolute risks, visual displays, and time frames; based on a process of shared decision-making; and address the inherent uncertainty that comes with any probability. ; This paper was the product of a workshop funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation entitled "Dementia Prevention Services" (grant number: IZSEZ0_193593). Additional funding was obtained from EURO-FINGERS, an EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) project. The EURO-FINGERS project is supported through the following funding organizations under the aegis of JPND - www.jpnd.eu: Finland, Academy of Finland; Germany, Federal Ministry of Education and Research; Spain, National Institute of Health Carlos III; Luxembourg, National Research Fund; Hungary, National Research, Development and Innovation Office; The Netherlands, Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW-Memorabel #733051102); Sweden, Swedish Research Council. LNCV is funded by an Alzheimer Nederland fellowship (WE.15-2019-05). The Barcelonaβeta Dementia Prevention Study and its registry have received funding from the Barcelona City Council (20190454), the Health Department of the Catalan Government, the Catalan Agency for Health Quality and Evaluation, and Biogen. Hersenonderzoek.nl is supported by ZonMw-Memorabel (#73305095003), Gieskes-Strijbis Foundation, Alzheimer Nederland and Hersenstichting. GBF received funding by the EU-EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiatives 2 Joint Undertaking (IMI 2 JU) "European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia consortium" (EPAD, grant agreement number: 115736) and "Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease" (AMYPAD, grant agreement number: 115952); the Swiss National Science Foundation: "Brain connectivity and metacognition in persons with subjective cognitive decline (COSCODE): correlation with clinical features and in vivo neuropathology" (grant number: 320030_182772). WF, LNCV, and PS are recipients of ABOARD, which is a public-private partnership receiving funding from ZonMW (#73305095007) and Health~Holland, Topsector Life Sciences & Health (PPP-allowance; #LSHM20106).

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has gained attention in the past decade as a "signature injury" in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI is a major burden for both the military and civilian population in the US and worldwide. It is a leading cause of death and disability in the US and a major health services resource burden. We seek to answer two questions. What is the evidence regarding the association of TBI with health services utilization and costs in the US and worldwide? What is the evidence regarding racial/ethnic, gender, geographic, socio-economic and other disparities in health services utilization and cost in the US and worldwide? To attain this goal we searched several databases using key words to perform a systematic review of the literature since 2000. We found 36 articles to be eligible for inclusion in the review. The evidence demonstrates a wide variation in health services utilization and costs depending on population of study and severity of TBI. The evidence also supports the existence of racial/ethnic, gender, insurance, geographic disparities in the US as well as other unique disparities worldwide.

Brain health conditions: Excellence in psychedelic treatments
Psychedelic treatments open up an unparalleled window of opportunity, but we need to get ready for their roll-out. Mental healthcare is in crisis, and we don't have the tools to truly help millions of Europeans in need. In the EU, a shocking number of over 100 million people are affected by mental health conditions and alcohol use disorder and 56 000 die by suicide every year. And yet, few novel treatments have been developed by the pharmaceutical industry in the last several decades. We urgently need more innovation and psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs) are emerging as a potent new class of novel treatments for mental, neurological and substance use disorders, as indicated by the rapidly growing, rigorous, and compelling body of research. In conjunction with proper psychosocial support, they hold the potential to provide safe, rapid-acting, and robust clinical improvements with durable effects.

Background: Brain health is a multi-faceted concept used to describe brain physiology, cognitive function, mental health and well-being. Diseases of the brain account for one third of the global burden of disease and are becoming more prevalent as populations age. Diet, social interaction as well as physical and cognitive activity are lifestyle factors that can potentially influence facets of brain health. Yet, there is limited knowledge about the population's awareness of brain health and willingness to change lifestyle to maintain a healthy brain. This paper introduces the Global Brain Health Survey protocol, designed to assess people's perceptions of brain health and factors influencing brain health. Methods: The Global Brain Health Survey is an anonymous online questionnaire available in 14 languages to anyone above the age of 18 years. Questions focus on (1) willingness and motivation to maintain or improve brain health, (2) interest in learning more about individual brain health using standardized tests, and (3) interest in receiving individualized support to take care of own brain health. The survey questions were developed based on results from a qualitative interview study investigating brain health perceptions among participants in brain research studies. The survey includes 28 questions and takes 15–20 min to complete. Participants provide electronically informed consent prior to participation. The current survey wave was launched on June 4, 2019 and will close on August 31, 2020. We will provide descriptive statistics of samples distributions including analyses of differences as a function of age, gender, education, country of residence, and we will examine associations between items. The European Union funded Lifebrain project leads the survey in collaboration with national brain councils in Norway, Germany, and Belgium, Brain Foundations in the Netherlands and Sweden, the National University of Ostroh Academy and the Women's Brain Project. Discussion: Results from this survey will provide new insights in peoples' views on brain health, in particular, the extent to which the adoption of positive behaviors can be encouraged. The results will contribute to the development of policy recommendations for supporting population brain health, including measures tailored to individual needs, knowledge, motivations and life situations.

Background: Brain health is a multi-faceted concept used to describe brain physiology, cognitive function, mental health and well-being. Diseases of the brain account for one third of the global burden of disease and are becoming more prevalent as populations age. Diet, social interaction as well as physical and cognitive activity are lifestyle factors that can potentially influence facets of brain health. Yet, there is limited knowledge about the population's awareness of brain health and willingness to change lifestyle to maintain a healthy brain. This paper introduces the Global Brain Health Survey protocol, designed to assess people's perceptions of brain health and factors influencing brain health. Methods: The Global Brain Health Survey is an anonymous online questionnaire available in 14 languages to anyone above the age of 18 years. Questions focus on (1) willingness and motivation to maintain or improve brain health, (2) interest in learning more about individual brain health using standardized tests, and (3) interest in receiving individualized support to take care of own brain health. The survey questions were developed based on results from a qualitative interview study investigating brain health perceptions among participants in brain research studies. The survey includes 28 questions and takes 15–20min to complete. Participants provide electronically informed consent prior to participation. The current survey wave was launched on June 4, 2019 and will close on August 31, 2020. We will provide descriptive statistics of samples distributions including analyses of differences as a function of age, gender, education, country of residence, and we will examine associations between items. The European Union funded Lifebrain project leads the survey in collaboration with national brain councils in Norway, Germany, and Belgium, Brain Foundations in the Netherlands and Sweden, the National University of Ostroh Academy and the Women's Brain Project. Discussion: Results from this survey will provide new insights in peoples' views on brain health, in particular, the extent to which the adoption of positive behaviors can be encouraged. The results will contribute to the development of policy recommendations for supporting population brain health, including measures tailored to individual needs, knowledge, motivations and life situations.

"Cognitive health has only recently been recognized as an important issue for the public health system. Supported by a Congressional appropriation in fiscal year 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Alzheimer's-specific segment of CDC's Healthy Aging Program, referred to as The Healthy Brain Initiative. CDC then formed a partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, National Institute on Aging, Administration on Aging, AARP, and other public and private sector organizations to launch the activities of The Healthy Brain Initiative. Together these organizations embarked on a deliberative 18-month process to examine the current state of knowledge regarding the promotion and protection of cognitive health, to identify important knowledge gaps, and to define the unique role and contributions of public health." - p. 2 ; "CS223946-A" ; Mode of access: World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (1.53 MB, 36 p.). ; Bibliography: Healthy Brain Initiative publications (p. 33). ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC Healthy Brain Initiative: Progress 2006-2011; Atlanta, GA: CDC; 2011.

Background: Brain health is a multi-faceted concept used to describe brain physiology, cognitive function, mental health and well-being. Diseases of the brain account for one third of the global burden of disease and are becoming more prevalent as populations age. Diet, social interaction as well as physical and cognitive activity are lifestyle factors that can potentially influence facets of brain health. Yet, there is limited knowledge about the population's awareness of brain health and willingness to change lifestyle to maintain a healthy brain. This paper introduces the Global Brain Health Survey protocol, designed to assess people's perceptions of brain health and factors influencing brain health. Methods: The Global Brain Health Survey is an anonymous online questionnaire available in 14 languages to anyone above the age of 18 years. Questions focus on (1) willingness and motivation to maintain or improve brain health, (2) interest in learning more about individual brain health using standardized tests, and (3) interest in receiving individualized support to take care of own brain health. The survey questions were developed based on results from a qualitative interview study investigating brain health perceptions among participants in brain research studies. The survey includes 28 questions and takes 15-20 min to complete. Participants provide electronically informed consent prior to participation. The current survey wave was launched on June 4, 2019 and will close on August 31, 2020. We will provide descriptive statistics of samples distributions including analyses of differences as a function of age, gender, education, country of residence, and we will examine associations between items. The European Union funded Lifebrain project leads the survey in collaboration with national brain councils in Norway, Germany, and Belgium, Brain Foundations in the Netherlands and Sweden, the National University of Ostroh Academy and the Women's Brain Project. Discussion: Results from this survey will provide new insights in peoples' views on brain health, in particular, the extent to which the adoption of positive behaviors can be encouraged. The results will contribute to the development of policy recommendations for supporting population brain health, including measures tailored to individual needs, knowledge, motivations and life situations.

Introduction: This article considers mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). More specifically, it aims to illustrate the current picture of mTBI among military personnel, including its definition, prevalence rates, markers, possible long-term consequences, and current approaches to treatment. Methods: Information is drawn from current reports published by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre Task Force on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and high-impact academic research in the field, mainly making use of US and UK military data. Moreover, this article also includes exclusive data on the number of mTBI cases among the UK military for the period between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2016 that the author received from the Department of Defence Statistics at the MoD. Results: There is still no agreement on the classification and etiology of and best approach to the management of mTBI. Furthermore, prevalence rates vary considerably among UK and US service personnel. Although current MoD data show that the mTBI rates among UK service personnel are low, the seriousness of the potential long-term effects of mTBI should not be overlooked. Discussion: Because mTBI is the most controversial form of TBI in terms of its cause and nature, it continues to raise ardent debates among researchers and clinicians. This article recognizes this and thus incorporates as many different perspectives as possible.