FDST 2423 - Women’s Brain Health

By improving brain health through lifestyle interventions, we can enhance individual well-being, unlock millions of years of higher quality life, and support global economic growth. Throughout the semester, students will learn about multiple aspects of women’s brain health, performance, and brain illness, including depression, anxiety, stress and work-life balance, insomnia, migraines, hormonal imbalances, sexual health, brain fog, memory lapses, sleep disturbances, and the increased risk of dementia. The course introduces cutting-edge, evidence-based lifestyle approaches to protect the female brain, including a neuroprotective self-carenroutine incorporating a brain-healthy dietary pattern for women, stress reduction, physical activity, social wellness, positive psychology, and sleep.

The course will also explore the controversy surrounding soy and hormone replacement therapy, along with the implications of environmental toxins and everyday consumer products, such as health and beauty goods, anti-aging procedures, insecticides, SPF products, lawn and garden chemicals, cleaning supplies, supplements, and nootropics. Additionally, it will delve into the critical role of the microbiome in brain health.

Pre-Requisite
None

Co-Requisite
N/A

Cross Listed Course
N/A

3 Credit Hour(s)

Contact Hours
30 lecture/25 lab

3.34 Faculty Load Hour(s)

Semesters Offered
Fall and Spring

ACTS Equivalent
N/A

Grade Mode
A-F

Learning Outcomes
Students completing this course will be able to:

1. Communicate that women’s brain health is a lifespan and synergistic property including an individual’s mind, brain, body, and environment;
2. Describe how genetics, hormones, environment, social determinants of health and lifestyle impact women’s brain health, illness, and performance across their lifespan and uniquely affect brain health in women from diverse backgrounds;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how each of these factors affect brain health:

• The impact of nutrition on brain health across a woman’s life stages and how to adopt science-based brain-protective dietary patterns in daily life.
• The influence of sleep on brain health.
• The implications of physical activity on brain function.
• The effects of stress on brain health and ways to mitigate them.
• The impact of social connectivity on maintaining brain health.
• The role of emotional well-being in brain health.
• The importance of creativity and cognitive stimulation for brain function.
• The benefits of life with meaning and purpose for long-term brain well-being.

4. Dispel common myths related to women’s brain health, including how women’s brains develop, mature, and age distinctly from men’s.
5. Create a comprehensive toolkit of metrics and evidence-based interventions to translate scientific findings, theories, and strategies in women’s brain health into practical, real-world applications.
6. Implement a brain health lifestyle roadmap to address the unique opportunities to promote protective factors of women’s brain health and address risks of female brain illness.

General Education Outcomes Supported
 

• Students develop higher order thinking skills.
• Students employ active reading strategies to extract and construct meaning and educational value from texts and media.
• Students can write clear, coherent, well-organized documents, substantially free of errors.

• Weekly Quiz
• Lab Project
• Development of Clinical Toolkit
• Applied Term Project
• Class and Lab Participation
• Weekly Reflection Journal and Social Media Article/Post