Fall 2026 Topics

Week 1: Orientation

Introduction to the Brain Fitness course, including key concepts, tools, and platforms used throughout the program.

Week 2: From Judgment to Goals—The Cognitive Skills Behind Everyday Success (Minoo)

Discover the powerful thinking skills that shape your everyday life. Beyond memory, abilities like judgment, problem-solving, decision-making, and goal setting help you overcome challenges, make confident choices, and achieve meaningful goals. In this lesson, you will explore how these executive functions work together and how strengthening them can support lifelong brain health and independence.

Week 3: Thinking Clearly: Building Better Judgment Skills (Minoo)

This lesson introduces judgment as a cognitive skill for evaluating information under conditions of uncertainty. It also clarifies a common myth that judgment means criticizing people or being negative. In reality, judgment involves assessing credibility and evidence to make informed decisions in everyday life. The lesson explores how frequent, often automatic judgments influence health, financial, and personal choices and explains that judgment is a trainable skill rather than simply intuition or common sense. It also provides practical tools to improve accuracy, reduce bias, and support better decision-making in complex, information-rich environments.

Week 4: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness, and Other Trauma Therapies (Erika)

Discover how trauma can affect the brain, memory, emotions, and the nervous system. In this class, we will explore the neuroscience behind evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, mindfulness, biofeedback, neurofeedback, and other brain-based therapies that support emotional healing and cognitive resilience. Learn how these techniques promote neuroplasticity, regulate the stress response, and help the brain recover from the effects of trauma.

Week 5: Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and Sleep Apnea (Sharon)

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and sleep apnea are two common sleep disorders that can significantly affect sleep quality, brain function, and overall health. In this class, we will review their symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options so you can better recognize and understand these conditions. Learn how improving sleep health can support memory, mood, cognitive performance, and overall well-being.

Week 6: Dreams, Hypnosis, and Creativity in the Brain (Erika)

What happens in the brain while we dream, enter hypnosis, or experience moments of creativity? This week, we will explore the latest neuroscience behind sleep, dreaming, altered states of consciousness, and creative thinking. Learn how different brain networks work together to support imagination, problem-solving, memory consolidation, and emotional processing.

Week 7: Brain-Based Problem Solving for Real-Life Challenges (Minoo)

Learn how to recognize problems more accurately before trying to solve them. This lesson explores how the brain identifies challenges, why people sometimes misunderstand problems, and how better problem definition can lead to smarter decisions and more effective solutions.

Week 8: Windows to the Brain: What Your Eyes Reveal About Memory and Alzheimer’s (Charisse)

Did you know that your eyes offer a direct, non-invasive window into the health of your brain? While most people think of sight simply as a way to see the world, cutting-edge neurobiology reveals that sensory input from our eyes acts as a primary engine for cognitive reserve. Join us for an eye-opening brain fitness class exploring the vital connection between vision loss, cognitive decline, and the revolutionary science of retinal imaging. Discover how uncorrected vision loss taxes the brain’s mental energy, accelerates social isolation, and increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease—and learn how everyday optical scans may soon detect neurodegenerative changes years before memory symptoms ever appear.

Week 9: Hormonal Changes and the Aging Brain (Sharon)

Hormonal changes that occur with aging can affect brain function, including memory, mood, energy levels, and cognitive performance. This week, we will explore how changes in hormones influence the brain and overall well-being. Understanding these changes can help you recognize their impact and adopt strategies that support healthy brain aging and cognitive resilience.

Week 10: Weight Management & the Brain (Charisse)

Our physical health and mental clarity are deeply connected, but how exactly does body weight influence the brain? This week, we will discuss the latest research on weight management and its direct effects on cognition and brain health. We will explore how metabolism, nutrition, and cardiovascular health influence brain function, examining the science behind how maintaining a healthy weight can protect memory and strengthen cognitive resilience as we age. Join us to discover evidence-based strategies that nourish both your body and your brain.

Week 11: Movement Disorders and Brain Health (Sharon)

Movement disorders are neurological conditions that affect the body's ability to control movement, balance, and coordination. This week, we will explore common movement disorders, their signs and symptoms, underlying causes, and current treatment options. Understanding these conditions can help improve quality of life, support better daily function, and promote healthy aging.

Week 12: Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medication Effects & the Brain (Charisse)

Just because a medication is available over the counter does not mean it has no impact on your brain. This week, we will discuss the latest research on OTC medications and their effects on cognition and brain health. We will take a closer look at common medications—including allergy pills, sleep aids, and pain relievers—to explore how certain ingredients can affect the brain and unexpectedly contribute to confusion, drowsiness, or memory lapses. Join us to learn how to read medication labels with confidence and choose OTC options that help protect your cognitive health.

Week 13: CVA (Stroke), Brain Aneurysms, and Rehabilitation Strategies (Erika)

Discover how strokes and brain aneurysms affect the brain and what current research reveals about recovery. We will explore the science of neuroplasticity, how the brain reorganizes after injury, and the latest rehabilitation strategies that support functional recovery. Learn practical, evidence-based habits older adults can use to promote brain health, reduce stroke risk, and maximize the brain's ability to adapt and heal.

Week 14: Commercial Brain Supplements & Cognition (Charisse)

We see advertisements everywhere for pills and powders that promise sharper focus, better memory, and enhanced brain performance. But do these commercial "brain supplements" actually work? This week, we will examine the latest research on supplements marketed to improve cognition and brain health. We will evaluate the evidence behind popular ingredients, separate marketing claims from scientific reality, and learn how to identify safe, evidence-based approaches to supporting memory and cognitive function. Join us to discover how to protect both your brain health and your wallet.

Week 15: Neurogenetics, Neuroethics, and Brain Donation (Erika)

The future of brain science is being shaped by advances in genetics and neuroscience. This week, we will explore how genes and lifestyle interact to influence brain health, the ethical challenges of emerging neurotechnologies, and the important role of brain donation in advancing research on aging, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological conditions.

Week 16: Cannabis and Cognition (Charisse)

As cannabis products become more widely available, how do they truly affect the aging brain? This week, we will discuss the latest research on cannabis and its effects on cognition and brain health. We will explore how compounds such as THC and CBD interact with the nervous system as we age, examining the science behind their effects on memory, attention, and pain management. This class will cut through the misinformation and provide the evidence-based facts you need to make informed, healthy decisions.

Week 17: Brain Health, Aging, and Cognitive Resilience Across the Lifespan

How does the brain change as we age, and what can we do to keep it healthy? This week, we will explore the latest research on healthy brain aging, cognitive resilience, and neuroplasticity throughout the lifespan. Learn evidence-based strategies—including physical activity, lifelong learning, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and social engagement—that can help support cognitive function and overall brain health.

Week 18: Conclusion