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The LIBRA lifestyle test and brain health

Scientific background, clinical validity, and significance for brain health.

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Summary of this article

Lifestyle plays a demonstrable role in brain health and the risk of cognitive decline
The LIBRA lifestyle test is a scientifically validated questionnaire, developed by Maastricht University
Research such as the FINGER study shows that lifestyle interventions can delay and prevent cognitive decline
By repeating over time, LIBRA helps to better track changes in risk and brain health

Why Lifestyle Matters for Brain Health

Increasing research shows that dementia and cognitive decline are not determined solely by age or heredity. Lifestyle and health also play a crucial role.

A major international analysis, published in The Lancet, indicates that about 40 percent of dementia cases are linked to factors that can, in principle, be influenced. Consider exercise, blood pressure, hearing, smoking, depression, and social contacts.

These insights form the basis for a preventative approach to brain health. Not by addressing one factor, but by considering the whole picture.

What is the LIBRA questionnaire?

LIBRA stands for Lifestyle for Brain Health. It is a questionnaire that brings together various lifestyle and health factors into one overview.

The questions cover topics such as:

exercise
nutrition
mental and social activities
cardiovascular health
mood and stress
sleep and general health

Each factor is selected based on scientific research that has found a link with cognitive decline or dementia. The outcome is not a diagnosis, but rather a picture of risk factors and protective factors.

Clinical origin and validity

The LIBRA methodology was developed by researchers at Maastricht University. In recent publications, the questionnaire has been further developed into LIBRA2, where the underlying factors have been reassessed based on current scientific knowledge.

LIBRA is used as a tool to:

make lifestyle-related risks visible
support prevention
track changes over time

It is not a medical diagnostic instrument, but a scientifically substantiated way to gain insight into factors that are related to brain health.

The LIBRA method was developed at Maastricht University.

Lifestyle, prevention, and the FINGER study

The approach behind LIBRA aligns with the FINGER study. This large international study examined whether a combination of lifestyle interventions affects cognitive decline.

The results showed that participants who received guidance on multiple lifestyle domains, such as nutrition, exercise, cognitive training, and cardiovascular health, exhibited less decline than the control group.

In the Netherlands, the FINGER-NL study is underway, in which this approach is further examined within the Dutch healthcare context.

These studies demonstrate that lifestyle matters and that it is meaningful to systematically monitor risks and changes.

Daily lifestyle choices contribute to long-term brain health.

Why repetition is important

The LIBRA test provides a snapshot. However, lifestyle and health change over time.

By filling out the questionnaire again, it becomes visible:

what remains the same
where improvement occurs
where extra attention might be needed

It is precisely this comparison over time that makes the test valuable for monitoring brain health.

The role of LIBRA within Remind

Example of the LIBRA lifestyle test in the Remind app

Within Remind, the LIBRA lifestyle test is used as one of the first building blocks of your personal brain profile.

Concretely, this is done in three ways:

Starting point for insight
The result of the test shows which lifestyle factors are strong for you and which may require attention. This helps to better understand and contextualize signals.
Context for other measurements
Remind combines the LIBRA results with other data, such as cognitive tests, memory tasks, and digital signals. The lifestyle context helps to better interpret these measurements.
Monitoring over time
By periodically repeating the test, Remind can track changes. Not to draw conclusions from a single measurement, but to make patterns visible over a longer period of time.

Research shows that combining questionnaires with digital biomarkers can contribute to earlier and richer insights into changes in brain health.

Within the app, these insights are presented step by step. This provides space for explanation, context, and, where relevant, practical next steps.

Within Remind, the LIBRA lifestyle test is used as one of the first building blocks of your personal brain profile.

Concretely, this is done in three ways:

Starting point for insight
The result of the test shows which lifestyle factors are strong for you and which may require attention. This helps to better understand and contextualize signals.
Context for other measurements
Remind combines the LIBRA results with other data, such as cognitive tests, memory tasks, and digital signals. The lifestyle context helps to better interpret these measurements.
Monitoring over time
By periodically repeating the test, Remind can track changes. Not to draw conclusions from a single measurement, but to make patterns visible over a longer period of time.

Research shows that combining questionnaires with digital biomarkers can contribute to earlier and richer insights into changes in brain health.

Within the app, these insights are presented step by step. This provides space for explanation, context, and, where relevant, practical next steps.

Within Remind, the LIBRA lifestyle test is used as one of the initial building blocks of your personal brain profile.

This happens in three specific ways:

Starting point for insight
The result of the test shows which lifestyle factors are strong for you and which may require attention. This helps to better understand and contextualize signals.
Context for other measurements
Remind combines the LIBRA results with other data, such as cognitive tests, memory tasks, and digital signals. The lifestyle context aids in better interpreting these measurements.
Monitoring over time
By periodically repeating the test, Remind can track changes. Not to draw conclusions based on a single measurement, but to reveal patterns over a longer period.

Research shows that combining questionnaires with digital biomarkers can contribute to earlier and richer insights into changes in brain health.

Within the app, these insights are presented step by step. This provides room for explanation, context, and where relevant, practical follow-up steps.

The importance of a multi-modal approach

Remind combines multiple domains to better understand changes in brain health.

Within Remind, the LIBRA lifestyle test is not used on its own. Brain health is complex and is rarely captured in a single measurement. By combining different types of signals, a more reliable and complete picture emerges.

That’s why Remind works with a multi-modal approach, in which lifestyle, cognitive tests, and digital biomarkers are reviewed together. The LIBRA test offers context and insight into modifiable risk factors, while other measurements help to track changes in cognitive functioning over time. By combining this information, it is possible to better interpret signals and place individual outcomes in perspective.

In conclusion

The LIBRA lifestyle test is based on years of international research and aligns with current insights into dementia prevention and brain health. It is not a prediction or a diagnosis, but a tool to make lifestyle-related risks and changes visible.

In combination with other measurements, the test contributes to a better understanding of brain health over time.

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Are you interested in the other assessments we offer at Remind? Read more here:

Speech

Speech seems self-evident, but it is neurologically complex. During speaking, multiple brain areas work together, including those for language processing, planning, memory, and motor skills.

Daily skills

Daily skills provide important signals about cognitive functioning. The A-IADL is a scientifically validated questionnaire that measures these skills.

Fine motor skills

Fine motor skills and typing patterns provide subtle signals about cognitive functioning. The Remind / Neurokeys keyboard measures how someone types, not what someone types.

Memory

Memory is a core function of the brain. It allows us to absorb, retain, and later recall new information.

Speech

Speech seems self-evident, but it is neurologically complex. During speaking, multiple brain areas work together, including those for language processing, planning, memory, and motor skills.

Memory

Memory is a core function of the brain. It allows us to absorb, retain, and later recall new information.

Fine motor skills

Fine motor skills and typing patterns provide subtle signals about cognitive functioning. The Remind / Neurokeys keyboard measures how someone types, not what someone types.

Daily skills

Daily skills provide important signals about cognitive functioning. The A-IADL is a scientifically validated questionnaire that measures these skills.

Speech

Speech seems self-evident, but it is neurologically complex. During speaking, multiple brain areas work together, including those for language processing, planning, memory, and motor skills.

Fine motor skills

Fine motor skills and typing patterns provide subtle signals about cognitive functioning. The Remind / Neurokeys keyboard measures how someone types, not what someone types.

Memory

Memory is a core function of the brain. It allows us to absorb, retain, and later recall new information.

Daily skills

Daily skills provide important signals about cognitive functioning. The A-IADL is a scientifically validated questionnaire that measures these skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Remind help me to recognize changes in my brain in a timely manner?

Is Remind the same as a medical examination or diagnosis?

How reliable are the tests used by Remind?

What happens to my data? Is someone listening or reading along?

What does my Remind Brain Age mean for me?

How does Remind help me to recognize changes in my brain in a timely manner?

Is Remind the same as a medical examination or diagnosis?

How reliable are the tests used by Remind?

What happens to my data? Is someone listening or reading along?

What does my Remind Brain Age mean for me?

How does Remind help me to recognize changes in my brain in a timely manner?

Is Remind the same as a medical examination or diagnosis?

How reliable are the tests used by Remind?

What happens to my data? Is someone listening or reading along?

What does my Remind Brain Age mean for me?

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