For a long time, brain health felt abstract. Something you worried about later. Or something only neurologists talked about. That is changing fast. In 2026, brain health steps into the spotlight in a very practical way. Not as a fear-based conversation about decline, but as a skills-based conversation about resilience.

Here is the big shift: Brain health is no longer framed as something you either have or lose. It is something you build. Daily. With choices that are far more within reach than most people realize.

Brain diseases and cognitive decline remain among the largest public health challenges globally, but recently the Paris Brain Institute held the World Brain Health Forum and the work shared is reframing how we think about prevention and resilience. Integrated research agendas at global forums highlight a redefining of brain disease biology, accelerating therapeutics, the use of AI and digital tools, and the application of precision approaches throughout life.

Research institutions are not just publishing papers. They are translating science into action. The Salk Institute has named 2026 the Year of Brain Health, with research focused on sleep........

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