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Brain health in youth - what are we measuring? - A comprehensive review
Susanne R De Rooij1, Amber Boots1
1Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Aging and Later Life, Health Behaviors and Chronic Diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Background:
There is a large body of literature on brain health, usually focusing on brain health in adulthood in relation to neurodegenerative diseases. Over the past ten years, brain health has also emerged as a concept in studies conducted in youth. But what is brain health in youth and how can we measure this?
Methods:
We summarized the literature on brain health in youth and inventoried operationalizations of brain health and research themes. We searched Medline for studies reporting on brain health in youth (from neonates to late adolescent stage).
Results:
We identified 49 eligible studies: 26 operationalized brain health in youth, 13 measured outcomes which they related to brain health and 10 were reviews about youth brain health. Operationalizations of brain health varied widely and included multimodal measures involving questionnaires, cognitive tests, neuroimaging and blood biomarkers. Identified research themes were obesity/fitness/lifestyle as determinants of youth brain health, neonatal brain health, traumatic brain injury and brain health, technological options for measuring brain health, and childhood determinants of brain health.
Conclusion:
This review offers a comprehensive overview of possibilities for measuring brain health in youth, which could serve as a valuable foundation for a commonly accepted definition, framework and operationalization of brain health in youth.
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