The Stories Our Minds Tell

Many people know that being regularly physical activity has physical and mental health benefits. Despite this knowledge, sticking with a consistent exercise routine is difficult and most people who try to regularly exercise relapse. This talk will discuss new research on an overlooked barrier to exercise: all-or-nothing thinking. People engage in all-or-nothing thinking when something gets in the way of their planned exercise, and rather than modifying the plan to do something, they choose to do nothing. Strategies to change an “all-or-nothing mindset” into a “something is better than nothing” mindset will be discussed.

We speak thousands of words every day—but what if our speech could reveal early signs of Alzheimer’s disease? My research explores how subtle changes in word choice and speech patterns can signal cognitive decline long before diagnosis. People with Alzheimer’s tend to use more common, vague words and fewer unique expressions, and their speech is more likely to drift off topic. Remarkably, these patterns can identify Alzheimer’s with high accuracy, even up to a year in advance. This work points to a future where simple speech analysis could help detect early cognitive decline and improve treatment and quality of life.