Is there something you didn’t like as a kid that you really love now? Maybe it’s onions, spicy food, or running.
For me, it was anything to do with brains. In medical school, the speciality I disliked the most was neurology. I was interested in the neurological symptoms that I read about in textbooks and that patients described to me, but the science and teaching of brain function and the diseases associated with it left me running for the canteen. To me, there was already a mismatch; the complexity of what people were experiencing felt oversimplified by just having to learn the area of the brain that was supposedly the source of the condition and the state the prescription required. (And the neurologists were very strict, which didn’t help!)
Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014, I’ve done a full 180 on brain science, and now it’s something that endlessly fascinates me. Personal experience always reframes health with a new lens, but when it comes to anything “neuro,” it’s become more than that for me. The more I learned about brain health, the more I realised how integral our brain is to every single aspect of our inner and outer lives. From emotional health to gut health and creativity, productivity, and happiness, my jaw was on the ground when I realised that caring for our brains was at the core of improving our lives.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a global shift in the way we talk about brain health. Somewhere between long COVID impacting more than just respiratory health and the silent epidemic of mental illness that has overwhelmed our health services, a space has appeared for brain health to enter the chat.
The Brain Economy
Now the scope of this is widening. In January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, an international nonmedical spotlight shone on brain health. The Brain Economy brought together the pillars of neurodegeneration, mental health, resilience, and artificial intelligence (AI) on a global stage.
A report published last month by EMEA (the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association) stated that “the defining challenges confronting the global economy such as climate change, demographic ageing, digital transformation, geopolitical instability and rising inequality…. are fundamentally cognitive and psychological.” They go on to state that “the capacity of societies to adapt, innovate, cooperate and govern under stress depends on the health and skills of the human brain.”
For those of us who have studied the trajectory of brain health over the last few years, this is huge. This is the Super Bowl of brain health. Anyone who has worked in health has known for decades the challenges of diseased brains—Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of death in the United Kingdom and the seventh leading cause in the United States. Neurological conditions are some of the most disabling, distressing, and challenging conditions to live with. More than one in three people are affected by these, and they are a leading cause of illness and disability worldwide
Poor mental health plagues modern life, and while everyone from big tech to big pharma tries to steer people through it, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for those living with these symptoms.
But what if we start from the top down? And really invest and understand that improving brain health and function could improve lives and reduce the disease burden of neurological and psychiatric conditions?
The Global Brain Capital Index
The Global Brain Capital Index is a framework that places brain health and brain skills at the centre of economic performance and societal resilience in the 21st century. Taking the current principles of human capital, which focus on productivity, general health, personal growth, and individual investments in skills, it proposes a shift to brain capital.
What does that mean? The report puts forward a change in alignment to focusing on purpose instead of productivity, integrating mental health into economic planning, and expanding formal education to include creativity, agility, and resilience.
How can this be done? Experts propose using a systemic approach to designing, everywhere from schools to workplaces to cities, with brain health and lifelong brain function at the core of its offering.
Resilience Essential Reads
Three key pillars will facilitate this process:
Brain enablers (including socioeconomic and environmental conditions)
Brain health (mental health conditions, neurological disease)
Brain skills (learning, innovation, knowledge creation, and well-being)
Building a brain-positive economy will not be without challenges. From my experience, I’ve seen throughout my career the siloed nature of healthcare, and within brain health, this is no different. With so many different elements of individual health and societal influence incorporated in this, helping people see that our brains are what unite us will not be for the faint-hearted.
However, I’ve learned that the most powerful aspect of brain function is how our neurons are capable of change and plasticity at any age and stage of life. The more we talk about brain health in every room and conversation we are part of, the easier it will be for everyone to understand that improving brain health is essential for improving the health, happiness, and resilience of our communities.