In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined the term ‘health’ to mean not only the absence of disease, but also the presence of physical, mental and social well-being (World Health Organization, 1948). The term ‘brain health’ was first introduced in research literature in 1989 (Chen et al., 2021). The term was rarely used until 2011, but it saw a marked upturn in the literature in 2017, followed by a further upsurge the following year (World Health Organization, 2022).
The term ‘brain health’ was first introduced in Norway by the Norwegian Brain Council in 2015 (Norwegian Brain Council, undated). The term then received more attention after the Directorate of Health launched a status report on brain health in 2017 on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Care Services (Directorate of Health, 2017). In the same year, the National Brain Health Strategy was launched, further strengthening the focus on the concept of brain health.
Over the years, there has been extensive discussion about what should be included in the term ‘brain health’ (Owolabi et al., 2023) and both organisations and professionals have used different definitions (Chen et al., 2021; Gorelick et al., 2017; Hendrie et al., 2006; Wang et al., 2020). Although use of the term has varied, the different definitions have certain commonalities (The Lancet Neurology, 2022).
Hachinski et al. (2021) refer to brain health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being achieved through continuous brain development and exercise. The World Health Organization describes brain health as being the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor domains, allowing a person to realise their full potential over their life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders (World Health Organization, 2022). Chen et al. (2021) refer to brain health as the complete functioning of the brain throughout its life cycle, which is supported by physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and quality of life.
Gorelick & Sorond (2024) explore various definitions of the term ‘brain health’ and identify a number of core features:
- the entire life course is included, not just a particular phase
- preservation of brain structure and function is essential
- brain health is affected by factors such as environment, genes and interactions
- many risk factors for brain health can be changed
- brain health is promoted through global collaboration between science, public health policy and political priorities
In Norway, brain health is considered to be a comprehensive term that revolves around maintaining and enhancing brain health throughout life. The term includes the overall state of the brain’s functions, such as cognition, senses, emotions and movements, regardless of whether brain diseases are present or absent (World Health Organization, 2022). Brain health is also about each individual person’s ability to promote their own brain health and cope with life despite brain disease (Ministry of Health and Care Services, 2017).