BrainHealth Index
At Center for BrainHealth®, we define brain health as the continual promotion of the brain’s optimal development, through cognition, well-being and connectedness to people and purpose.
Rooted in the World Health Organization’s definition of brain health, emerging research is expanding our understanding of the multiple, interdependent dimensions affecting the brain’s health, fitness and performance.
The Index is a composite score with a unique focus on the brain’s lifelong ability to improve, built with a proprietary algorithm from more than 20 established assessments, including the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
The BrainHealth Index measures brain health and performance.
This scientifically-informed approach establishes a proprietary composite score, while highlighting the contributing factors of brain health, including:
- Clarity (readiness to reason through complex situations and create new opportunities or solutions).
- Emotional balance (steadiness in the face of difficult situations, ability to handle adversity while remaining productive and capable).
- Connectedness (capacity to overcome challenges and enjoy right, fulfilling experiences).
The algorithm powering the Index leverages research revealing that these factors do not operate in isolation, but rather are dynamic and work together to contribute to one’s overall brain fitness and performance over time.
Taken once, the Index provides a snapshot of a person’s current brain fitness level.
Taken periodically year after year, it shows an individual’s change and improvement.
The Index score is not based on typical limits or standards (like 100) because there is no known ceiling on brain health. It does not define ranges because its purpose is not to compare people or groups. It shows how an individual’s brain health and fitness can change and improve over time – it’s you against you.
This figure shows a sample of an individual’s overall BrainHealth Index score as well as the changes in the factors that contribute to the global score over time. The degree to which each of the factors contributes can change over time, with the growth in this case being largely due to gains in clarity.