Since there is a diversity of views, it is difficult to summarize. However, most responders emphasize that knowledge of one’s cognitive status is empowering, regardless of age, condition, or whether one’s cognition is improving or declining.

I am in total agreement with this imperative to mind the brain, and understanding the many potential concerns that follow will allow our society to manage this information responsibly.

An important caveat is that as SharpBrains enthusiasts, we are not representative of the prevailing opinions in most communities. We need better research to support this claim, but my impression is that many still view cognitive decline as inevitable and unmodifiable and would not be prepared to use objective feedback on their mental abilities to empower or motivate.

Thanks to SharpBrains and a growing segment of the healthcare, private sector, and government universes, we are witnessing culture change and a shift toward preventative approaches.

I know I don’t need to tell this community that successful brain aging is achievable, but each of us should consider how we can transmit this message to those around us.

. My spouse’s experience has been that family and friends have adapted well to his cognitive decline. Employment and insurance are another matter because of liability and profit issues.

Knowledge of cogitive decline would be a substantial motivator to maintain fitness but it is difficult to know how cognitive decline affects the ability to organize and adhere to a fitness regime.

Joshua, here you have mine

1- Ignorance is what would leave me worse off, since it would preclude me from taking appropriate action. We also need to clarify that a) while some abilities tend to decline others tend to improve, b) there seems to be little inherently genetic in our individual cognitive trajectories, which emphasizes the importance of selecting our environments and our specific lifestyles/ actions in an informed manner.

2- Only if there was some kind of stigma associated to the word “cognitive decline”. Which I hope doesn’t happen – for most people (we are not talking dementia, correct?), decline in some areas is part of the game, as is improvement in others.

The only exception would be insurance companies – I would encourage them, as an industry, to have very strong privacy and non-discrimination safeguards before offering such assessments to consumers.

3) Yes. That would be its main value.

Actually, this did happen to me a little over a year ago. I was losing my ability to think at work to an ever-increasing degree and, misunderstanding my doctor’s explanation, thought I had some form of dementia.

2) I am concerned that family, friends, physicians, employers, or insurers would treat me differently if they found out I had cognitive decline.

My son’s wedding was a few months away and I decided not to ask the doctor to go into detail, afraid I’d be crying all during the wedding. I didn’t confide in friends at the beginning, but did as I began making plans for retiring with a medical disability. I had to face the fact that if this was true, my place of employment would need a head’s up to replace me and my insurance would find out no matter how I tried to hide it. And yes, I was going to be broke and would shortly have to pay a fortune for insurance even though the company would not officially drop me (just increase my rates so astronomically I would drop myself). People did treat me differently. My friends were there for me, supportive, but not patronizing. Co-workers could be unthinkingly callous “Oh, she won’t be here next year anyway so we don’t need her input”. Or, they would go out of their way to talk with me and ask how I was, something they may not have done before. My employers themselves were wonderful. Even though I didn’t think I could continue on, they worked with me to alter my work environment, and lighten my load at great difficulty to themselves. The human resources department gave me enormous support as well. I was terrified at the thought of suddenly being unable to care for myself and not knowing whom I could trust to make decisions for me. Thank God for the Alzheimer’s Foundation who gave me much good advice, did a lot of legwork for me so I could make and take decisions, and called me to check up and see what I might need next. Now, recovering from my temporary cognitive impairment (temporary!!!), I have some idea of what to do should the need arise in the future.

“Understanding my cognitive strengths and weaknesses will motivate me to establish and adhere to a personalized brain fitness program.” When you have cognitive weaknesses, you can lose the will to do anything. Having someone who will help you get started might be the thing to help me. Will power? No hope for the future = no will power for the present.

2. I am not concerned how friends and family would treat me. Employer – yes, somewhat unless it was traced to a disability that could be “reasonably accommodated”. Insurer – excellent question. I don’t know how I’d feel about that.

3. Absolutely! Even now, without knowing of any cognitive decline, I try to find ways to exercise my mental fitness. Just like I try to target areas of physical weakness with specialized focus, if I could know where I was “losing it”, I would focus on strengthening those areas. KR

1- It is better to know and understand in order to be able to play my strengths and work on my weaknesses

2- I would only be concerned about Employers

3 – I would agree on what Mr Aaron Jackson Said, but I still find something motivating with knowing, maybe it is the self determination and will !

1> Not necessarily. Knowledge of a decline is an insufficient condition to cause worse off. However, couple that knowledge with a perceived inability to address the decline and yes, worse off conditions will follow.

2> Concerned, no, because I’m quite comfortable that the presence of the knowledge would cause a change in a behavior through their altered expectations. And comfortable in my ability to address people with preconceived notions. Now if they have knowledge and I don’t, you may get a different answer.

3> No. And for the general public a definite no. Strengths and weaknesses are not direct motivators of behavior change. By analogy, strengths and weaknesses relating to lack of physical activity are readily observed, yet the observations lack the “juice” to stimulate exercise. To motivate fitness program adherence, peer group appreciation, and positive expectation of results are needed.