What you eat, how much you move and even how well you sleep may be quietly shaping your brain's future. A new study from the University of the Sunshine Coast found that certain lifestyle choices may affect brain chemistry in ways that could raise the risk of developing dementia, long before any outward symptoms appear.
The study, published in Cerebral Cortex, analyzed brain chemical levels in 79 healthy older adults using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. All participants were cognitively healthy, but their dementia risk varied based on lifestyle-related factors like sleep, diet, physical activity and social connection.
Researchers found that those with higher modifiable dementia risk scores had significantly lower levels of three key neurochemicals: GABA, total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA) and total choline (tCho). GABA acts like a neural brake, keeping brain activity in balance, while tNAA and tCho are essential for brain cell communication and tissue health.
“We examined the concentration levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) — which you can think of as the brain’s ‘brake system,’” said lead author Dr. Jacob Levenstein. “GABA is a neurochemical messenger that helps calm down brain activity and keep neural networks balanced. These results suggest ‘riskier’ lifestyle choices could hinder the brain’s ability to properly regulate itself.”
He added that changes were especially noticeable in regions responsible for movement, sensory processing and executive function, suggesting deterioration may begin long before symptoms become visible.
“Crucially, these three neurochemical markers were identified in healthy older adults, meaning they could play a role in the detection of dementia years before behavioral symptoms appear, giving a head-start on prevention and mitigation,” Levenstein said.
Co-author Dr. Sophie Andrews, who leads the Thompson Institute’s Healthy Brain Ageing Program, emphasized the hopeful side of the findings: small daily habits matter. Getting regular physical activity, improving sleep, reducing stress, eating more whole plant-based foods (like in the Mediterranean diet) and staying socially connected may all help support brain chemistry tied to memory, balance and long-term cognitive health. These steps are especially important as we age, even if everything still feels “normal.”
“These are modifiable factors. You can make simple everyday choices that will improve your brain’s health trajectory,” Andrews said. “We’ve shown that simple things like improving physical activity levels and sleep quality, looking after your mental health and moving toward a Mediterranean-style diet, can significantly improve your outlook.”
The researchers say these brain-based markers could someday be used to identify people most likely to benefit from early lifestyle-based interventions.
This research was supported by a SPARK Grant from the University of the Sunshine Coast.