Ayal Zahavi
Neurological disorders pose a substantial health and economic burden to the individual and society, necessitating strategies for effective prevention and disease management. Lifestyle behaviors (such as physical activity, smoking and alcohol use, cognitive engagement, face-to-face social interaction, stress-reducing activities, food/beverage consumption and sleep) play a role in risk and management of some neurological disorders.
The overall burden of neurological disorders continues to increase in our population. These disorders present with a heterogenous array of symptoms including cognitive, psychological and physical impairments, which contribute to reduced quality of life for the individual and pose significant societal and economic burden. These current and increasing burdens necessitate the identification of effective and targeted strategies to achieve risk reduction, manage symptoms, and delay progression.
Modifiable lifestyle behaviors, including diet, physical activity, smoking, cognitive reserve, social interaction and sleep have been implicated in the onset and progression of some neurological disorders.
The evidence for the role of lifestyle behaviors in risk and management of neurological disorders continues to grow, likely acting concurrently for optimal benefits. Indeed, multimodal lifestyle behaviors, combining healthy diet, increased exercise and cognitive training, have shown improved outcomes in patients with a neurological disorder and a reduced risk of progression, suggesting a multi-dimensional approach may be beneficial across different disorders.
This presentation will touch upon several lifestyle behaviors which can lead to a healthy living in patients with a neurological disorder.