Who we are can be traced to significant life experiences. Researchers at Trinity College in Dublin analyzed more than two thousand people across six countries, including cognitively healthy adults and those with various forms of dementia. Those who had experienced the greatest number of significant life events, even from childhood, tended to experience poorer brain health later in life. The study suggests that dementia prevention should not only focus on midlife interventions, such as controlling hypertension or diabetes, it should begin in childhood when the foundations of brain development are laid. Researchers say reducing food insecurity, improving education and ensuring reliable access to healthcare can help build brain health that pays off decades later. The study is in the journal Nature Communications.