Physical Activity, Lifestyle Factors, and the Aging Brain

Helen Lavretsky, MD, MS spoke with Psychiatric Times about her presentation at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology in Phoenix, Arizona. Lavretsky spoke about her role examining the role lifestyle factors in brain aging and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Lavretsky said researchers found that physical activity has a strong effect on older adults, aged 65 and older, but not much on adults younger than 65.

Lavretsky was in attendance at the preconfrence on technology and mental health, where she said she has a growing interest.

"People are trying to train ChatGPT to be a psychotherapist," Lavretsky said, "not very successful so far, but I'm sure at some point it will get there."

Dr Lavretsky is a professor in residence in the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. Her work on geriatric depression and integrative mental health using mind-body interventions has received national attention, and she has won numerous grants supporting that work. She is president-elect of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, and a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. She is also on the board of Psychiatric Times.