Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness

Participants (n=450; aged 50+; without a diagnosis of dementia; sufficiently fluent in English to complete the assessments and engage in programming) complete a baseline assessment consisting of three parts. A biosample session in which blood is drawn to measure HbA1c, cholesterols, thyroid levels, c-reactive protein, interleukin-6, homocysteine, and BDNF, and a saliva sample is provided to provide a polygenic risk score for AD. A questionnaire session is completed on a tablet or from home asks about demographics, health conditions, and five targeted modifiable factors: physical activity, brain-healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social connections, and mental wellbeing. A clinical session measures vitals, sensory function, frailty markers (grip strength, DXA, ultrasound of right quadriceps muscle), dual-task gait, and cognition (MoCA and Cogniciti's Brain Health Assessment). From that assessment, participants receive a Personalized Dementia Risk Report and Program Strategy, outlining conditions that are known to increase dementia risk, with resources provided on how to get them addressed, as well as their risk level in the five targeted domains. Participants then take a SMART goal setting workshop to identify SMART goals addressing their dementia risk factors, and then sign up for programming in the centre to reduce their risk. After six months, their risk in the five targeted domains, cognition (Brain Health Assessment), and satisfaction are re-assessed, and every year, most of the baseline assessment is repeated. We expect that this personalized approach will result in reductions in risk in the five targeted domains within the first six months, improvements in health factors within the first year, and improvements in cognition within two years.