Scientists are exploring whether technology can help change how human brains age. Healthy living remains central to that effort, but artificial intelligence, MRI scans, sleep tracking and biological research could make earlier detection and more personalized preventive care possible.

In Loma Linda, an hour east of Los Angeles, lifestyle offers an established model. Marijke, 76, and her husband Tom served a breakfast of oatmeal, chai seeds and berries, without processed sugary cereal or coffee.

The city is considered one of the world’s Blue Zones, where people live longer than average. Its Seventh-Day Adventist community generally avoids alcohol and caffeine, follows vegetarian or vegan diets and treats physical health as a religious duty.

Dr Gary Fraser from the University of Loma Linda said women in the community can expect four to five additional years of good health, while men can expect seven. Residents also stay mentally stimulated and draw support from a close religious community.

Healthy living lectures, musical gatherings and exercise classes are regular features. Judy, who lives with 112 other people at an assisted living facility, emphasized the value of socialization and conversations that engage both the heart and brain.

Scientists can now identify people whose brains appear to be ageing faster than expected. The goal is to track those changes and potentially improve preventive treatment as health care becomes more personalized, predictive and driven by artificial intelligence and large collections of data.

Andrei Irimia, associate professor of gerontology and computational biology at the University of Southern California, developed computer models using MRI scans and data from 15,000 brains. The models examine the trajectories of healthy brains and those experiencing disease processes such as dementia.

“It's a very sophisticated way to look at patterns that we don't necessarily know about as humans, but the AI algorithm is able to pick up on them,” he said. The technology seeks patterns that may not be apparent through human examination alone.

After examining a functional MRI scan of journalist Lara Lewington, Prof Irimia estimated that her brain was eight months older than her chronological age. He also said the finding fell within a two year error margin.

Brainkey, a private company offering brain scanning services through clinics around the world, produced a different estimate. Its analysis made Lewington’s brain appear one year biologically younger, and the company also provided a life sized model printed in 3D.

The broader objective is not merely to make treatment more precise. Scientists also want to measure whether interventions are working, while researchers investigate whether dementia can be delayed beyond a person’s life expectancy.

Researchers and residents in Loma Linda repeatedly return to lifestyle as a foundation for brain health. Diet, physical activity, mental stimulation, happiness and strong social connections remain crucial parts of the picture.

Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, identified sleep as another major factor. “Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do every day to reset your brain and body health,” he said.

During sleep, the brain’s cleansing system washes away beta-amyloid and tau proteins, which Prof Walker described as two main culprits underlying Alzheimer’s. Changes in sleep associated with dementia may begin during a person’s 30s, making sleep tracking a potential tool for prevention during midlife.

Fauna Bio, a biotechnology company near San Francisco, is studying ground squirrels during and after hibernation. Their metabolic rate falls to 1% of normal, yet they appear able to regrow neurons and rebuild lost brain connections, a process the company hopes to replicate through drugs for humans.

Professor Leanne Williams of Stanford University has also used MRI scans to visualize some forms of depression and assess whether treatment worked. Meanwhile, tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson is spending millions on supplements, fasting, workouts and treatments in an attempt to reverse his biological age.

Yet Mildred, 103, offered a simpler perspective from Loma Linda. She stressed careful eating but rejected rigid rules, arguing that people also need to live a little, a reminder that the search for longevity still circles back to daily life.

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