Brain health measurement: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Brain health preservation is critical for the global aging population.
• Existing evidence for brain health optimization is growing but lacks clear recommendations due to inconsistent outcome measurement.
• Heterogeneity in brain health outcome measurement impedes clinical translation of research findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate brain health measurement methods in existing scientific literature.
• To identify commonalities and variations in how brain health is assessed across studies.
• To inform the development of a standardized core outcome set for brain health research.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted, searching Medline, APA PsycArticles, and Embase databases.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies detailing brain health evaluation methods in adult humans, published in English.
• Data extraction and synthesis were performed by two independent reviewers using Covidence software.

Main Results:

• The review identified 727 studies meeting inclusion criteria from 6987 initially identified articles.
• A significant increase in brain health research publications was observed, with a 22-fold rise in the last decade.
• 479 unique brain health measurement methods were identified, categorized into imaging, cognitive, mental health, biological, and clinical domains. Imaging techniques (e.g., structural MRI, hippocampal volume) and cognitive tests (e.g., Trail Making Test) were most prevalent.

Conclusions:

• The exponential growth in brain health literature is contrasted by highly heterogeneous measurement methods, potentially limiting clinical application.
• Future research should prioritize the development of a core outcome set to standardize measures and facilitate inter-study comparisons.
• There is a need to expand outcome measures beyond neuroimaging to encompass a broader range of brain health indicators.