Can Folk Dancing Help Prevent Dementia? — Day Two of the Healthy Living Symposium 2025

On Day Two, Barry Halliwell, Distinguished Professor at the National University of Singapore, delivered the keynote lecture. His research examines the roles of free radicals and antioxidants in Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders, and he also studies how diet affects health.

In his lecture, Professor Halliwell highlighted ergothioneine (ET) — a distinctive diet-derived compound found chiefly in mushrooms — as a potential contributor to the prevention of age-related diseases, based on a growing body of research. Low ET levels are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration and frailty. ET has anti-inflammatory effects, protects cells from reactive oxygen species, supports mitochondrial function, may slow neurodegeneration, and can help protect the lungs, liver and kidneys. ‘While the exact mechanisms are not yet fully understood, the evidence that it may play an important role in healthy ageing is steadily mounting,’ he said.

Taking an epidemiological approach to healthy ageing, Paul Elliott, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Imperial College London, explained that epidemiologists study how and why diseases occur in different population groups and which factors increase or reduce risk. They also map the frequency of disease across time and place to support prevention. For example, the decline in mortality from heart disease and the spread of obesity both illustrate the roles of lifestyle and the environment.

A new approach looks beyond genes to examine the combined effects of diet, environmental chemicals, the gut microbiota and stress. According to Professor Paul Elliott, large, long-term studies enable researchers to measure these effects even before disease onset, thereby improving understanding of causes and opportunities for prevention. ‘Ultimately, this new knowledge can bring us closer to healthy ageing and disease prevention,’ he added.

The day also covered new targeted treatments for the inflammatory mechanisms underlying brain disorders. Ádám Dénes, a researcher at the HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, noted that brain disorders place an ever-growing burden on society, yet effective therapies remain scarce. Research shows that inflammation plays an important role in these conditions, with microglia — the brain’s resident immune cells — as key players. While microglia can help the brain adapt to hypoxia, under inflammatory conditions they can also drive pathological processes. ‘We are currently investigating which molecules govern these processes and how microglial function changes in different diseases,’ Dénes added.

How can we improve brain function as we age? Zoltán Vidnyánszky, Head of the Brain Imaging Centre at the HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, argued that dementia is to a significant extent preventable because many of its risk factors are modifiable through lifestyle. The HUN-MLI-BRAIN programme draws on Hungarian folk dance to integrate physical, cognitive and social activities.

Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and schizophrenia affect more than one billion people worldwide. Although treatments can improve quality of life, two-thirds of patients do not receive adequate care. In his lecture, György M. Keserű, Head of the Medicinal Chemistry Research Group at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, presented past, current and emerging therapies.

Stefan Thurner, Professor at the Medical University of Vienna, explained how a next-generation health data system enables us to view medicine and healthcare systems as a complex, dynamic whole. He argued that millions of patient journeys can be reconstructed, revealing what works and what does not. ‘Data help uncover disease trajectories, side effects and the effectiveness of therapies, thereby supporting the design of more efficient and sustainable healthcare systems,’ he emphasised.

Csaba Kerepesi, a researcher at HUN-REN SZTAKI, explained how artificial intelligence is used to measure ageing and rejuvenation. ‘We are developing new methods for measuring ageing and rejuvenation that can help evaluate rejuvenation therapies and advance personalised medicine,’ he said.

Dezső Miklós, a researcher at the HUN-REN Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, highlighted that Hungary has vast amounts of health data, from which they construct chronologically ordered patient journeys. Their analyses indicate that these neural networks outperform traditional methods and reveal interpretable patterns, thereby helping to make Hungary’s healthcare system more efficient.

A summary of Day One is available here.