The new brain aging network - opening a window on relationships between emotional well-being and the aging brain

The NIA-funded Network for Emotional Well-being and Brain Aging (NEW Brain Aging) has the goal of developing a nationwide community of investigators dedicated to research that identifies and tests mechanisms by which brain aging influences EWB and how EWB may impact risk for and progression of Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Early evidence indicates an association between emotional well-being (EWB) and cognitive functioning, both normal and abnormal. However, study of these associations is underdeveloped. Their fuller understanding from biological, psychological, and social perspectives may facilitate the development of interventions to optimize emotional well-being in later life in people living with dementia (PLWD) and reduce the risk of further cognitive decline.