More than HALF of people living with dementia have no idea they have it and the brain scans we trust most might be missing the truth entirely. What if you could check your brain health every single day, just by talking into your phone?
I'm Neal K. Shah, a Johns Hopkins and NIH-funded caregiving researcher and CEO of CareYaya, and I have helped thousands of families navigate aging, dementia, and serious illness. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Shifali Singh; a neuropsychologist and professor at Harvard Medical School who runs the Digital Neuropsychology and Brain Health Lab at Mass General Brigham's McLean Hospital, to unpack how your brain really ages, why so much dementia goes undetected, and how new technology could soon let anyone screen their cognitive health from home.
We get into why an MRI doesn't tell the whole story (one of her patients was told they'd lost 60% of their hippocampus and turned out to be completely fine), why neuropsychological testing detects Alzheimer's far more accurately than PET scans, and how the words you use every day can quietly reveal what's happening inside your brain.
I'll be honest, even after years working in this field, a few things Dr. Singh shared genuinely changed how I think about my own brain. If you've ever worried about your memory, cared for someone who has, or just want to protect your mind for the long run, this one is for you.
Here's what we cover:
Why more than half of dementia cases go undiagnosed — and how to catch the early signs
The real difference between a neuropsychologist and a neurologist
How depression, poor sleep, and low mood can mimic and accelerate cognitive decline
The
#1 reason families move a loved one into a care home (hint: it's not memory)
Why 2 out of 3 people with mild cognitive impairment never develop full dementia
The story of a patient who reversed his diagnosis — with no drugs
Whether brain-training games actually work
The single most powerful (and free) habit for protecting your brain
How AI, social media, and screens may be reshaping the way we think
If this hit home, do one thing today: if something feels "off" with someone you love, don't wait — ask their doctor about a real cognitive evaluation, not just a couple of quick memory questions.
👉 Subscribe for more conversations that break down the health and caregiving news that actually affects older adults and the people who care for them.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 The stat that should scare all of us
00:18 Meet Dr. Shifali Singh, Harvard neuropsychologist
01:44 What a neuropsychologist does (vs. a neurologist)
02:42 Why your MRI can lie to you
05:32 Brain testing vs. brain scans: what's actually accurate
06:00 How AI, social media & screens affect your thinking
13:00 "Will my generation get dementia younger?"
14:30 The hidden link between mood, depression & memory
16:00 The
#1 reason families move a parent to a care home
17:00 Why the science of Alzheimer's completely changed
18:00 The rural dementia gap nobody talks about
19:00 Do you really have memory loss? Subjective vs. objective
20:00 Checking your brain health daily with your phone
21:00 How your speech reveals what's happening in your brain
26:00 The single best habit to protect your brain
27:00 Why 2 out of 3 people won't develop dementia
29:00 The patient who reversed his diagnosis
32:00 Do brain-training games actually work?
33:00 How your voice can screen for cognitive decline
40:00 Making cognitive testing accessible to everyone
42:00 The invisible crisis facing caregivers
47:00 Why catching it early truly matters
53:00 How to actually get a cognitive evaluation
54:00 Rapid fire: habits, myths & memory questions
1:04:50 The surprising danger of retirement
1:07:30 Final takeaways: one thing to do today
ABOUT
Neal K. Shah is a Johns Hopkins- and NIH-funded caregiving researcher and CEO of CareYaya, and has helped thousands of families navigate aging, dementia, and serious illness. This channel breaks down the health and caregiving news that actually affects older adults and the people who care for them.
🔔 Subscribe for more on caregiving, aging parents, grief, and keeping your family whole.
#dementia #brainhealth #memoryloss #Alzheimers #cognitivehealth #neuropsychology #caregiving #healthyaging #dementiaawareness #brainhealthtips 
Comments (0)