Neuroscientist Reveals The Secret To Long Term Brain Health | Dr. Dan Levitin

He says conscientiousness includes reliability, dependability, and following through, and it influences outcomes from avoiding preventable accidents to seeking medical care and following through on recommendations. He adds it can be changed at any age, with the caveat that too much conscientiousness can resemble obsessive-compulsive patterns.

He cites cognitive behavioral therapy as one example of practical tools that help people reach goals they set, and he also mentions meditation, yoga, and inspiration from literature, art, or role models. He frames these as ways people can influence their trajectory without claiming certainty over outcomes.

He describes how songs from a person’s youth can remain recognizable even in severe dementia and can reduce agitation by helping people “reconnect” with themselves. He also says learning an instrument later in life is neuroprotective because it builds neural and cognitive reserve, tying this to lifelong neuroplasticity.

He emphasizes that activities involving eye-hand coordination and bodily micro-adjustments (like uneven outdoor walking) are powerful for brain health, and he contrasts this with more uniform movement like treadmill work. He says if you only do one thing, moving outdoors is “better,” while still viewing gym work (including resistance training and interval training) as useful.

He calls loneliness a major predictor of fatalities and argues that real-time, in-person conversation is highly demanding for the brain in a beneficial way. He also points to “micro communications” (brief chats with strangers) as a practical antidote to loneliness, based on research he attributes to Barbara Fredrickson.