William James College Launches SageMind, an Aging Intervention Program

William James College, a leader in educating behavioral health professionals and the largest graduate psychology program in New England, announced the launch of SageMind, a mind, brain and body assessment and wellness program designed to sustain and enhance memory and thinking for middle-aged and older adults.

SageMind is inspired by a growing body of research showing that whole-body health interventions (targeting the mind, brain and body) can significantly reduce, and in some cases even reverse, declines in memory and thinking that occur as we age. Geared toward adults looking for a scientifically validated approach to preserve and enhance thinking and memory, SageMind brings the methods used in successful research and makes them directly available to the public.

“The goal of SageMind is to prevent problems in thinking and memory before they start,” said Al Ossorio, a fellow at the Brenner Assessment Center at William James College and the program coordinator. “Rather than treating symptoms of aging, we want to prevent them from happening in the first place.”

By 2050, the population of Americans aged 65 and above is projected to nearly double. In the 21st century alone, over 244 medications for Alzheimer’s Disease have been developed. All but one have failed, and the lone success provides little beyond a short-lived and marginal relief.

SageMind seeks to address threats to thinking and memory by evaluating an individual’s health across eight domains that research has established are essential to age-related cognitive health (sleep, nutrition, brain health, chronic inflammation, stress and stress related factors, exercise, social engagement, and cardiovascular health). SageMind, which includes a comprehensive neurocognitive evaluation, will compile a picture of a person's cognitive health, identifying risk factors to thinking and memory and identifying the best approaches for mitigating those risks. Since diseases of aging begin 10 to 20 years before symptoms emerge, the program is targeted at adults 40 and above, and remains appropriate for people well into their 70s. For more information, please visit http://www.williamjames.edu/community/brenner-center/sagemind/index.cfm .