In the Brain Health research group, we aim to understand causes and consequences of poor brain health across populations using large health datasets to inform brain health promotion strategies.
We are a group of researchers working to understand the epidemiology of brain health conditions with a major focus on ageing populations worldwide. Maintaining brain health into older age is a key global health challenge. Over 20% of adults aged over 60 experience conditions that disrupt normal brain health and function; the most common are depression and dementia, affecting 7% and 5% of older individuals respectively.
Our research uses longitudinal electronic health records and multidimensional research cohorts from across settings (in the UK and internationally). We apply causal inference methods to these datasets to generate insights into the determinants and outcomes of brain health conditions. We work closely with collaborators including clinicians, public health professionals, epidemiologists, statisticians, and health data scientists. Ultimately, our research aims to inform public health approaches to improving brain health worldwide.
Plain English summary
People worldwide are living longer. Maintaining good brain health into older age is a major health challenge. 'Brain health’ refers to how well a person’s brain functions across areas such as cognition, emotion and movement. Good brain health enables people to live well and function in society. We study brain health in different populations around the world. Our research uses anonymous health data from GPs and hospitals. We also work with data from surveys and cohort studies to explore brain health across different groups of people. We seek advice from experts in medicine, public health, statistics and those with lived experience. Our research aims to identify ways to improve people’s brain health.
Resources
Kwabena Asare
Georgia Gore-Langton
According to the National Institute on Aging, ‘brain health’ refers to how well a person’s brain functions across several areas. Aspects of brain health include:
- Cognitive health — how well you think, learn, and remember
- Motor function — how well you make and control movements, including balance
- Emotional function — how well you interpret and respond to emotions
- Tactile function — how well you feel and respond to sensations of touch — including pressure, pain, and temperature
Brain health can be affected by age-related changes in the brain, injuries such as stroke or traumatic brain injury, mood disorders such as depression, substance use disorder or addiction, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Our principal areas of research are:
Acute infections and brain health in ageing populations
Through a Wellcome-funded programme of work, we are investigating relationships between a range of infections and different components of brain health in older age. Key questions include:
- What risks do acute infections pose to brain health in UK and US populations?
- Do relationships between infections and brain health differ in India or Mexico compared to the UK and US?
- What mediates relationships between infections and brain health?
Risk factors and complications of herpesviruses
We have conducted studies of the risk factors, burden, and complications of herpesviruses in large cohorts and health records datasets. These include:
- Quantifying acute complications associated with herpes zoster (shingles) including acute neurological, ocular, skin, and visceral complications
- Showing a lack of association between herpes zoster and either dementia or Parkinson’s disease
- Investigating risk factors for herpes zoster and herpes simplex virus type 1
Dementia risk factors and inequalities
Our work on better understanding population drivers of dementia includes:
- Investigating ethnic inequalities in dementia diagnoses
- Identifying factors affecting dementia risk among people with diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and stroke
- Assessing the validity of dementia diagnosis codes in electronic health records
Policy work on brain health promotion
We input into policy consultations relevant to brain health and work with initiatives such as Think Brain Health Global and organisations such as Alzheimer’s Research UK on brain health promotion activities. We also input into wider policy consultations on topics such as using health data for research.
See our selected recent publications below
We know that infections can affect the health of older adults in the short-term. However, we don’t fully understand long-term effects of infections on the brain. We studied the health of nearly one million adults in England aged 65 years or more. Using data from anonymous health records, we controlled for differences in factors such as age, sex, smoking and physical health. In our study, infections were linked to an increase in dementia cases. The more severe the infection, the higher the chance of developing dementia. Raised dementia risk persisted for more than 9 years after infections. We now need to find out more about why this happens and who is most at risk. Importantly, can preventing and treating infections help to preserve brain health?
Read the Washington Post article.
See the published paper.