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In response to Finch and Burstein's provocative argument that the advanced dementias may result from environmental toxins and lifestyle factors associated with post-industrial societies, we call for a more rigorous historical approach, emphasizing the importance of situating ancient texts more fully in their historical and cultural context. Such an approach would also entail consideration of the declining relative rates of dementia in Western countries, which have been linked to population health-level factors and policies that appear to have reduced the risk of dementia by directly and indirectly influencing the social determinants of brain health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]