Dr. Fotuhi’s Brain Fitness Calculator

Courtesy of  www.today.com and Dr. Majid Fotuhi of John Hopkins University

From Dr. Majid Fotuhi

“The Fotuhi Brain Fitness Calculator is based on my 25 years of research, clinical and teaching experience at Harvard and Johns Hopkins. I have published several articles about factors that shrink or expand the brain. In my book, I have put together an odometer-type scale that indicates the strength of each of risk factors and each protective factor. I call them “brain meters.”

The questionnaire is my attempt to put all this information in a simple format so people can get a general idea of how they can improve their brain health.”

Disclaimers:

• This questionnaire is intended as a general screening tool for brain health issues and should not be used for diagnosing or treating any specific medical conditions.
• A person with a perfect score may still have significant undiagnosed heart disease (without any symptoms) that could result in stroke and dementia in the future.
• A person with a poor score needs to double-check his or her answers with a health care professional. For example, a person with depression may post unreasonably low scores that could be unduly alarming.
• This questionnaire is not intended to be fully comprehensive and should not be used as a medical diagnosis.

To calculate your score, add the selected numbers from each question. Scoring is explained at the end.

Stress

1. High stress, daily

2. Occasional stress, not daily

3. Rare stress, only once in a while (with deadlines, etc.)

Laughter

1. Rarely laugh, usually grumpy

2. Occasional laughter

3. Cheerful and smiling most of the time

Blood pressure

1. Usually 140/90 or higher

2. Usually between 120/80 and 140/90

3. Usually 120/80 or lower

Smoking

1. Smoke daily

2. Occasional smoke (or quit smoking)

3. Never smoke

Alzheimer’s in the family

1. More than 2 members of the family have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

2. Only one member of the family has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

3. Nobody in the family has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Sleep

1. Usually less than 6 hours a night

2. Usually 6 to 7 hours a night

3. Usually about 7 to 8 hours a night

Snoring 1. Snore all night, feel sleepy during the day

2. Occasional snoring, mild sleepiness during the day

3. Quite and restful sleep

Activity level

1. Couch potato

2. Usually active, but no formal exercise

3. Keep an active lifestyle and exercise regularly

Brain safety

1. No seat belts, no helmets during biking or contact sports

2. Occasional use of seat belts and helmets

3. Conscious about safety, regular use of seat belts and helmets

Fitness level

1. Compared to people my age, I am out of shape

2. Compared to people my age, I am in average shape

3. Compared to people my age, I am in great shape

Social engagement

1. Usually isolated and alone

2. Occasional social activities, 1-2 months

3. Regular social activities every week

Alcohol use

1. Three or more glasses of alcohol per day

2. No alcohol at all

3. 1-2 glasses of alcohol per day

Food quantity

1. Eat large portions, enjoy second servings

2. Eat occasional large portions, no second servings

3. Small and reasonable portions, no second servings

Food quality

1. Junk food (such as French fries, doughnuts or salty foods)

2. Occasional junk food, usually heart-healthy diet

3. Heart-healthy diet, zero junk food

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid)

1. No DHA or nutritional supplements

2. Occasional DHA supplements

3. Daily use of DHA supplements

Mood

1. Sad, irritable and/or depressed most of the time

2. Occasional irritability, but generally pleasant

3. Upbeat, cheerful, and agreeable most of the time

Mindfulness Meditation

1. Never practice any form of meditation or relaxation

2. Occasional meditation or relaxation

3. Daily mediation and/or relaxation

Attitude

1. Usually pessimist, negative, and hopeless

2. Occasional negative thoughts, usually positive attitude

3. Always optimistic and positive attitude

Memory Stimulation

1. No effort in memorizing names, facts, or stats

3. Always eager to memorize names, facts, or stats

Sense of curiosity

1. No interest in learning new things or exploring the world

2. Occasional interest in learning new things and exploring the world

3. Usually eager and enthusiastic to learn new things and explore the world

Your Score:

Green: 50-60: Good news: You have a brain-healthy lifestyle. There’s always room for improvement, though, so please start working on areas where your score was not perfect.

Yellow: 31 to 49: Your lifestyle needs a checkup. You need to identify key weaknesses and devote a strong effort to strengthening them, while maintaining brain-healthy habits in other areas.

Red: 20 to 30: Your brain is in need of some TLC. Your goal should be to improve your scores across the board. This may involve some major lifestyle changes. Think about which changes you can realistically make and which will have the biggest impact. You need to discuss areas in which you have a low score with your doctor or a health care professional.