Optimizing mental performance in the short term and long term

As much as I value my physical health, I don’t think I’m alone when I say that my cognitive abilities are what I’m most grateful for. After working with patients affected by dementia, traumatic brain injury, and other cognitive impairments, I’ve come to realize that the ability to problem solve, engage in meaningful conversations, and retain important information is far from guaranteed. Our brains are our most valuable asset, and protecting their health should be a top priority. Here are the basics you need to know to keep your brain functioning at its best, both in the short term and for the long term.

While it’s not glamorous and you’re probably tired of hearing it, we have to start off by emphasizing once again the importance of key health behaviors. The fundamentals we always stress — exercise, sleep, nutrition, and stress management — are just as crucial for cognitive health and performance as they are for physical health. Study after study has shown that these things have an enormous impact on immediate and long-term brain function. We discuss these habits so frequently that I’m going to glean over them here, but they are absolutely essential for optimal cognitive functioning. If you’re serious about improving mental performance, the majority of your focus should be on getting these basics right.

Moving on to things that are less impactful but garner more mainstream interest, here’s a brief rundown on nootropics — molecules thought to enhance cognition. I wrote a blog post on this topic back in 2022, and my thoughts haven’t changed much in the 3 years since. Essentially, there are many molecules that are capable of enhancing mental performance for a few hours following consumption. The ones I focused on back in 2022 remain the most prominent today: caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines (Adderall), modafinil. The key takeaway is that these things are all best used in moderation and in the proper context. Overuse of these molecules can lead to dependence and can have serious consequences to mental and physical health long-term.

There are some molecules worth mentioning that have the potential to improve long-term cognitive functioning. Omega 3 fatty acids, either consumed in the diet or supplemented, have some promising data supporting their ability to modestly lower dementia risk. Creatine monohydrate, typically thought of for its role in strength building, has recently generated a lot of buzz for possible cognitive benefits. While the data remains limited at this point, there are some encouraging studies and we’ll be keeping an eye on further research in this space.

What about brain games and intentional cognitive training? While there’s likely a role for these activities, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with them, they do have limitations. For example, cognitive exercises can sometimes bring about improvements in specific mental abilities (e.g. processing speed), but they rarely translate well to real-world scenarios. I love games as much as anyone, but there are probably better uses of your time if you’re trying to optimize overall cognitive performance.

That leaves us with one of the most powerful ways to build and sustain brain capacity and function: engaging in activities that challenge and stimulate the mind. The data is abundantly clear on the types of experiences that lead to this growth, and they all seem to follow the same themes: learning new things, making new connections, and pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone. 

Maintaining constant curiosity and embracing your role as a lifelong learner is perhaps the most important thing you can do to expand and preserve your cognitive capacity. This has been thoroughly studied in the setting of formal education. While cognitive performance peaks around age 17 for those that don’t attend college, it continues to rise into one’s mid-20s for those who pursue advanced degrees (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Peak cognitive performance by educational attainment level. The circles represent the median age of maximum cognitive performance in each sample population (Guerra-Carrillo et al., 2017).

The lesson here isn’t that you have to get a PhD, but that you should always embrace the mentality of being a student. Studying new topics, working with others on projects, and thinking critically can be done outside of educational institutions, but few people give their all to these activities once the guardrails of structured education have been removed. 

And for the last word, remember that we’re evolved to be social and interact with others on a daily basis. While this can sometimes feel irrelevant or unimportant, a huge portion of our brain is dedicated to navigating the complexities of another person or the dynamics of a group. Using this part of our brain can help it expand further, whereas neglecting it will allow it to atrophy. This is why loneliness is so harmful for the elderly. Add cognitive performance to the list as one of many reasons why you should prioritize relationships with friends and family over just about anything else.

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