A recent study from Rutgers Health and Yale University indicates that having and raising children could improve brain function and protect against cognitive aging. The research involving 37,000 adults found that parents exhibited higher functional connectivity in key brain networks, particularly associated with movement and sensation. This neuroprotective effect is evident in both mothers and fathers, emphasizing the role of caregiving rather than pregnancy alone. The findings are promising, especially for women experiencing 'Mommy brain,' and suggest that parenthood might lead to healthier brain aging.
Having and raising kids may unexpectedly boost your brain and protect your mind from aging over the long run, according to a new study.
The research from Rutgers Health and Yale University found parents developed higher brain-wide functional connectivity as they aged, especially in networks associated with movement and sensation, if they had more children.
These results suggest that parenthood may be neuroprotective in later life, and are consistent with previous studies that show 'younger-looking' brain structures in animal parents.
The study looked at data from 37,000 adults and sheds new light on how adult human brains develop over the course of a lifespan.
Collection
[
|
...
]