Longitudinal neuroimaging study shows that positive changes in the multidimensional BrainHealth Index correlate with structural adaptations in key brain networks

A new neuroimaging study published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior provides some of the first evidence that strengthening brain health through daily habits actually rewires its physical architecture.

The research, co-authored by BrainHealth Network collaborator Robyn A. Honea, PhD, of Honea NeuroPrecision LLC and Kansas University Medical Center, alongside scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, and Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, identified specific, sex-informed MRI biomarkers that track along with changes in an individual’s brain health trajectory over time.

The study tracked 190 healthy adults (ages 20-70, with 94 women and 96 men) who underwent up to five MRI scans over a four-year period. Rather than using traditional gross volumetric metrics, researchers employed advanced surface-based morphometry to evaluate nuanced features of cortical complexity, including gyrification index, sulcal depth, and fractal dimension. These structural adaptations were analyzed alongside participants’ changing scores on the BrainHealth Index, a validated, multidimensional composite developed by Center for BrainHealth that tracks cognitive clarity, social connectedness, and emotional balance.

Self-reported improvements in the BrainHealth Index were significantly linked to underlying, state-like changes in the brain’s neuroanatomy, reinforcing that neural efficiency drives structural optimization across adulthood. Significant increases in the gyrification index — the complexity of cortical folding — were found in the left insula and posterior cingulate cortex as participants’ brain health scores improved over time; the insula acts as a critical hub connecting key brain networks responsible for higher-order cognition.

In female participants, gains in brain health correlated uniquely with increased sulcal depth within the left precuneus, middle temporal gyrus, and right cingulate gyrus — regions highly associated with memory processing, emotional regulation, and successful cognitive aging. In male participants, higher baseline brain health scores predicted a significant increase in fractal dimension over time within the left inferior parietal cortex, indicating that baseline cortical complexity can serve as a trait marker identifying individuals primed for brain health optimization.

“This study marks a significant leap forward in precision brain health by demonstrating that a holistic, multidimensional index of human performance actually covaries with physical, measurable changes in brain architecture,” said Robyn A. Honea, PhD.

“By leveraging this collaborative network of leading scientists and sharing robust, multi-site neuroimaging data, we are moving from theoretical neuroplasticity to hard, physical proof,” said Mark D’Esposito, MD, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and co-leader of the BrainHealth Network.

“Every brain has a unique structural profile and an inherent capacity for positive neuroplastic change,” said Lori Cook, PhD, CCC-SLP, director of clinical research at Center for BrainHealth.

Journal: Brain Imaging and Behavior
Publication Date: July 20, 2026
Funding: Private philanthropy, including Sammons Enterprises, Inc., and the National Institutes of Health

Source: EurekAlert