Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

The New Science Of Preventing Dementia: Protect Your Brain, Boost Your Focus, Resist Cognitive Decline with Dr Tommy Wood #638

135 snips

Mar 18, 2026

Dr Tommy Wood, a neuroscientist and physician who advises elite athletes, explores why many dementia cases may be preventable. He digs into how aging beliefs shape brain health. He unpacks stimulation, movement, recovery, and social connection. There’s also a look at tired-yet-wired evenings, cognitive gears, and why women’s brain health needs more attention.

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ADVICE

Pick One High Return Change First

Start with one change that offers the biggest return instead of trying to fix everything at once.
Tommy Wood says lists of dozens of brain-health habits overwhelm people, and his Formula One work taught him that even elite performers often have room for only one new intervention.

INSIGHT

Top Performers Prioritize Process And Recovery

Elite performers often separate themselves by loving the process and protecting recovery, not by obsessing over outcomes.
Tommy Wood says Formula One drivers already get huge stimulus, so the biggest gains often come from downregulation, rest, and adaptation.

ADVICE

Use Cognitive Gears To Avoid Tired But Wired

Structure your day into cognitive gears by protecting focused work, containing meetings and messages, and inserting real breaks.
Tommy Wood says the tired-but-wired feeling often starts with spending all day in middle gear through emails, multitasking, and self-interruption.

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This podcast contains some of the simplest, most effective advice on brain health you will ever hear. It explains why the cognitive decline we expect with age isn’t inevitable at all. And why up to 70 percent of cases of dementia are, in fact, preventable.

I’m speaking with neuroscientist Dr Tommy Wood, one of the most respected voices on brain health today. He works with Formula One drivers and elite athletes to deliver peak cognitive and physical performance. He’s a researcher whose work spans brain development, traumatic brain injury and dementia – all of which is compellingly distilled into his new book, The Stimulated Mind.

Tommy is a plain speaker and motivating communicator and in this episode he explains why it’s the way you use your brain that matters more than almost anything else you can do for your long-term health. He outlines his 3S framework, Stimulate, Supply and Support, which makes brain health feel like something we can all influence – no expensive supplements or specialist training necessary.

Instead it’s learning new skills, trying complex activities, and staying socially connected that counts. Sure, we need good nutrition and plenty of rest. But without cognitive stimulation our brains can’t develop. It’s as much good, says Tommy, as drinking a protein shake but never lifting a weight!

We discuss different types of exercise and why our brains need a mix of aerobic, resistance and coordinative activities. Tommy describes taking dance classes or practising racquet sports as one of the best things we can do for our brains. So if you’ve ever fancied playing padel or trying tango? Now you’ve got some extra motivation.

Tommy also helps us understand that feeling of being ‘tired yet wired’ – when you’re physically exhausted and mentally overwhelmed, but can’t switch off and rest. I love his solution of restructuring your day around different cognitive gears, to help.

Plus, we discuss the hugely important, often overlooked topic of women’s brain health. What does the science really say about cognitive decline in menopause? The outlook is more hopeful than you might have thought.

Our conversation is packed with practical advice and evidence-backed insights that I want everyone to hear. Cognitive decline isn’t inevitable. Dementia isn’t your destiny. Whatever your age and whatever your worry, there are so many easy steps you can take, starting today, that are guaranteed to make a difference.

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/638

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.