Is Your Brain Aging… or Just Changing?
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We tend to talk about the brain like it’s a battery.
Charged when we’re young. Slowly draining with age.
But what if that’s the wrong model entirely?
In this episode of Causes or Cures, I sat down with neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Majid Fotuhi to unpack what’s really happening to our brains over time—and whether decline is as inevitable as we’ve been led to believe.
Spoiler: it’s not that simple. And honestly, this conversation gave me more hope than I expected.
Are We Overdiagnosing Alzheimer’s?
One of the more surprising parts of our conversation was the idea that what we call “Alzheimer’s disease” may not be one single disease at all.
Instead, it may be a mix of different conditions that look similar from the outside.
That matters—because if we’re lumping multiple causes into one label, we may also be missing opportunities to treat or prevent them differently.
And it also explains something that’s puzzled researchers for years:
why reducing plaques in the brain doesn’t always improve memory or function.
In other words, the story is more complicated than “plaque equals problem.”
Intelligence Is Not What You Think It Is
We also got into intelligence, and this is where things got interesting.
IQ tests were originally designed to detect deficits—not to define the full range of human intelligence.
Which means they don’t capture everything your brain is capable of.
He also discusses different types of intelligence. If you’ve ever felt “dumb” in a classroom but “smart” in something else, you’ll appreciate this section.
Dr. Fotuhi emphasized that environment, stimulation, and lifestyle all shape cognitive potential over time. Your brain is not a fixed asset. It’s more like a living system that responds to how you use it.
Which brings us to…
Why You Forget Names but Remember Weird Details
You know when you forget someone’s name two seconds after hearing it, but can remember a random fact from 1998?
Same.
There’s actually a reason for that.
Memory is not just about storage—it’s about attention, meaning, and repetition. Names are often low-context and low-emotion. Your brain basically shrugs and moves on.
But attach meaning, emotion, or pattern to something?
Now your brain pays attention.
Dr. Fotuhi shared a few memory exercises that are simple, slightly ridiculous, and surprisingly effective. The kind you can actually do without turning your life into a neuroscience experiment.
And I loved this part. It felt practical. Doable. Not preachy.
Use It or Lose It… But Not in the Way You Think
We hear this phrase all the time: use it or lose it.
But it’s not just about doing crossword puzzles and calling it a day.
Your brain thrives on challenge, novelty, and engagement.
That means:
*learning new things
*pushing slightly beyond your comfort zone
*staying mentally and socially active
This is where neuroplasticity comes in—the brain’s ability to rewire itself based on experience.
And yes, that ability sticks around longer than most of us think.
What Actually Lowers Your Risk?
We also talked prevention, and this is where things got refreshingly grounded.
Even if you carry genetic risk factors like the APOE gene, your lifestyle still matters. A lot.
We covered:
*exercise
*sleep
*diet
*social connection
*sense of purpose
Nothing here is shocking. But hearing it framed through decades of clinical and research experience hits differently.
It’s not about perfection.
It’s about stacking small, consistent inputs that support brain health over time.
Building a Brain That Can Withstand Time
One concept I really liked was brain reserve.
Think of it as your brain’s resilience. The more reserve you build, the better your brain can handle aging or disease before symptoms show up.
And you build that reserve through:
*learning
*movement
*relationships
*curiosity
*meaningful engagement with life
Not exactly sexy. But very real.
So… Is Your Brain Doomed?
No.
But it’s also not on autopilot.
Your brain is responding to what you do, how you live, and what you engage with—right now, not just decades from now.
And that’s the part I walked away thinking about.
Not in a panic way.
More in a… okay, I have some control here kind of way.
Listen to the Full Episode
If you want the full conversation—including the memory exercises, the nuance around Alzheimer’s, and what actually matters for long-term brain health—you can listen here.
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Other stuff to check out from the blog:
Rasputin actually COULD die. Pretty easily too. We cover that and other bizarre deaths (ones you will think about lying in bed at night) on this Causes or Cures episode with Dr. Roger Byard.
Also, are you spending too much time on the toilet?
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