The Stimulated Mind: How to Build a Brain That Resists Aging

One of my most fundamental interests over the past 40 years has been to understand how to preserve and enhance brain function as we age. And to be fair, this is not an area that receives much attention in mainstream, illness-focused neurology.

In this episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I sit down with Dr. Tommy Wood, whose new book, The Stimulated Mind, challenges some of the most deeply held assumptions about brain aging and cognitive decline.

Dr. Wood is a neuroscientist, physician, and performance expert who serves as an associate professor at the University of Washington, where his research focuses on brain health across the lifespan. His work uniquely bridges rigorous laboratory science with real-world application, including years spent coaching elite athletes and advising high-performance organizations.

What makes Dr. Wood’s perspective so compelling is his willingness to question our accepted narratives in neurology. Rather than focusing narrowly on things like amyloid plaques or isolated biochemical pathways, he invites us to zoom out and consider the brain as an integrated, adaptive system, one that is profoundly shaped by how we live our lives.

One of the central themes of our discussion is neuroplasticity, the brain’s remarkable ability to rewire itself. While many believe this capacity diminishes with age, Dr. Wood makes a powerful case that the adult brain retains this ability throughout life. The key, however, is engagement. The brain doesn’t change simply because it can, it changes because it must.

This leads to one of the most important ideas in the book: “cognitive headroom.” This concept describes the brain’s reserve capacity, the buffer that allows us to maintain function despite stress, aging, or disease. And critically, this headroom is not fixed. It can be built.

Through movement, nutrition, sleep, cognitive challenge, and social connection, we can actively influence how our brains perform today and how resilient they remain in the future.

Dr. Wood also explores why modern life may be working against us. From sedentary behavior to social isolation and reduced cognitive challenge, many aspects of our environment create what he calls a “mismatch” with the conditions under which the brain evolved. This mismatch may be a major driver of cognitive decline.

But the message here is not one of fear, it’s one of empowerment. So I’m all in.

This conversation offers a roadmap for reclaiming control over brain health. It reminds us that decline is not inevitable, that the brain remains responsive to how we use it, and that small, consistent changes can have profound effects over time.

As we discuss in Brain Defenders, the future of neurology lies not in chasing single targets, but in understanding and leveraging the complex systems that govern brain function.

I think you’ll find this conversation both eye-opening and deeply encouraging.