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Shannel Elhelou, PsyD and Ryan Glatt, MS, CPT, NBC-HWC
May 21, 2025

65. Optimizing the Brain with the 6 Core Pillars of Cognitive Wellness 

by Anthony Effinger

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

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More than 20% of adults over the age of 55 experience depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline as they age. Shannel Elhelou, PsyD and Ryan Glatt, MS, CPT, NBC-HWC, however, are firm believers in six core pillars for combating cognitive decline. They’re called the Vital 6 and consist of stress management, sleep, nutrition, exercise, socialization, and cognitive training. By focusing on interventions that most people can do at home, Dr. Elhelou and Ryan are making cognitive wellness accessible. Ryan Glatt is even the Director of the FitBrain Program at PNI, which combines brain and body training with “exergaming.” Tune in and discover how these Brain Wellness & Lifestyle Program experts are helping patients optimize their own Vital 6.

About Shannel Kassis Elhelou, PsyD and
Ryan Glatt, MS, CPT, NBC-HWC

Shannel Kassis Elhelou PsyD

Shannel Kassis Elhelou, PsyD, is a neuropsychologist at the Brain Wellness & Lifestyle Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute®. She is an accomplished brain health coach providing comprehensive actionable educational support to adults and older adults for healthy aging. Dr. Elhelou works with older populations affected by cognitive decline, using a combination of evidence-backed lifestyle strategies to stabilize and help revitalize brain health in the aging brain.

Ryan Glatt is a Certified Personal Trainer and a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with over a decade of experience. He focuses his exercise and health coaching strategies on brain health, personalizing lifestyle interventions for individuals with brain and cognitive health goals. Ryan is a Brain Health Coach and the Director of the FitBrainSM Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.

> Check Out More Think Neuro Podcast Episodes

About the Author

Anthony Effinger

Anthony Effinger

Think Neuro's host is Anthony Effinger, an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered all aspects of finance, with forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Last updated: October 28th, 2025