Australian music industry veteran Trish Couper loves to sing.
"I'm still performing in bands. I run a community choir. And I'm a singing teacher. My students have been aged from eight to 80. Singing is an all-brain activity," Ms Couper said.
Now in her 70s, Trish is one of nearly 100 people who volunteered for a five-year University of the Sunshine Coast research study into dementia risk.
The study has now reached a major milestone, with years of rich data now available to researchers and early findings into lifestyle choices that prematurely age the brain , while participants have personalised advice for dementia prevention.
"I've been performing for more than 50 years," Ms Couper said.
"Singing utilises all different parts of my brain. Now that I'm getting older, I was curious about what else to do to reduce my risk of developing dementia, so I joined the study.
"We've got to make the best of our lives. I also wanted to help other people who may benefit from the outcomes of the research down the track. It's a gift that I can give to others," she said.
Run by UniSC's Thompson Institute, the Lifestyle Intervention Study for Dementia Risk Reduction (LEISURE) supported participants aged over 50 to adopt strategies shown to reduce dementia risk.
Research shows up to 45 percent of the risk of developing dementia is linked to health and lifestyle - like exercise and sleep - but many of the risk factors are modifiable, meaning they can be changed by choice.
During the LEISURE study, each participant received a personalised report about their own health and lifestyle risk factors, cognitive performance, with areas for improvement highlighted.
A multidisciplinary team of experts then supported half of the participants, including Trish, to complete a 12-week program focusing on exercise, diet, sleep and meditation practice.
The other participants were members of a control group.
Along the way, the team assessed participants' mental wellbeing, physical health, sleep activity, cognition and molecular biology (via blood tests), and conducted brain imaging.
"The program reinforced what I was already doing. But it also spurred me on to do more. I go to the gym, do aqua aerobics and yoga to keep fit.
"It showed me the importance of eating the right foods and getting enough sleep each night. I'm so busy, it often feels like I'm running on empty, so I know I need to take more time for me," Ms Couper said.
Trish, alongside many of the volunteers, returned for six-month and two-year follow-ups, so that researchers could track their long-term changes in modifiable dementia risk.
Co-author of the study Dr Sophie Andrews, who leads the Thompson Institute's Healthy Brain Ageing Program , applauded the dedication of the participants over such a long period of time.
"We have an exciting opportunity to determine how lifestyle changes can impact our risk of developing dementia, made possible by generous volunteers who participate in our research," she said.
"People like Trish are certainly contributing to new frontiers of science, generously offering their time and attention so that we can understand the human brain and ultimately contribute to improvements to healthy ageing in Australia."
While some initial insights from the LEISURE study have already been published, the team has further papers in the pipeline, including the primary outcomes paper, which will be shared later this year.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is now the nation's leading cause of death.
