ABSTRACT
The pandemic dramatized the close links among cognitive, mental, and social health; a change in one reflects others. This realization offers the opportunity to bridge the artificial separation of brain and mental health, as brain disorders have behavioral consequences and behavioral disorders affect the brain. The leading causes of mortality and disability, namely stroke, heart disease, and dementia, share the same risk and protective factors. It is emerging that bipolar disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and some depressions share these risk factors, allowing their joint prevention through a holistic life span approach. We need to learn to focus on the whole patient, not simply on a dysfunctional organ or behavior to mitigate or prevent the major neurological and mental disorders by fostering an integrated approach to brain and mental health and addressing the common, treatable risk factors.
ABSTRACT
The pandemic is transforming neurology. Long COVID will linger, neurologic diseases will increase, and technology, artificial intelligence, and new virtual worlds will usher a new age of the brain and new roles for neurologists. The pandemic has compelled international collaboration, greatly increased communications, and accelerated drug and vaccines approvals. It also dramatized the close interconnection of cognitive, mental, and social health and their relevance to building back better health, education, work, and leisure. Brain health is the key to health, productivity, and well-being. Neurologists are best placed to lead brain knowledge integration and application through the unifying theme of brain health by becoming advocates, healers, and guardians of the brain.