Dr. Tommy Wood: Can Cognitive Decline Be Reversed?
The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
4.5 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 24 March 2026
⏱️ 90 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Up to 70% of dementia may be preventable, so why aren’t more people talking about what actually drives cognitive decline? In this episode, I’m with Dr. Tommy Wood, neuroscientist and author of “The Stimulated Mind,” to explore the lifestyle levers that protect your brain across a lifetime. Learn how white matter hyperintensities develop and whether they can reverse, what MCTs and ketones actually do for a glucose-starved brain, and why social connection may be the most underrated variable in cognitive aging. What is the one change you could make today that would most protect your brain tomorrow?
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⏰Timestamps:
00:00 Intro of Show
01:52 Elite Athlete’s Brain and Emotional Regulation
06:51 How to Regulate Emotions
11:30 Mindset Impacting Hormonal Responses
15:39 Future-Proofing the Brain
19:42 Brain Development vs. Shrinkage
26:11 Dementia Types, Causes, and Prevention
39:29 Social Isolation Influencing Cognitive Function
50:00 Social Stress’ Drivers
52:34 Non-Negotiable’s to Avoid Dementia Risks
57:42 Seafood Consumption Beneficial for Brain Function
1:03:35 Alcohol and Sleep Impacting the Brain
1:10:16 Is Brain Function Recovery Possible?
1:18:43 Use of Ketones and Glucose for Cognitive Recovery
1:23:09 Power of Mindfulness
1:27:06 Get Dr. Wood’s Book
‼️Disclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Alzheimer's often we assume it's related to memory, |
| 0:02.6 | but it's also executive function. |
| 0:05.0 | Numbers, decision making, |
| 0:06.6 | one of the best sort of early predictors of later Alzheimer's disease |
| 0:09.8 | was people losing the ability to keep track of their finances. |
| 0:12.6 | If the human condition is to choose the path of least resistance, |
| 0:17.1 | then we have these computers thinking and doing work for us. |
| 0:20.3 | We lose these tactical skills of thinking and processing. |
| 0:24.6 | Either you can use these tools to augment what you're currently capable of, |
| 0:28.6 | or you can allow them to drive atrophy of those skills. |
| 0:31.6 | But it still requires us to engage our brain in that process, |
| 0:34.6 | or do we just let it take over and do the work for us? |
| 0:36.6 | I don't think we have any data |
| 0:39.1 | because we've never been in this position. |
| 0:40.9 | And I can't imagine the brain volume |
| 0:42.7 | would decrease exponentially, but who knows? |
| 0:48.3 | They say that Alzheimer's is not reversible, |
| 0:50.6 | that prevention is the best metric versus once you have problems, |
| 0:55.0 | you're in trouble. |
| 0:56.0 | Fully reversible right now is controversial. |
| 0:59.0 | When you start to lose brain volume, the first thing that happens is not that you're losing cells. |
| 1:04.0 | What they're doing is they're shrinking down. |
... |
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