A recent study has determined that parenting appears to slow cognitive decline as individuals age. Analyzing brain scans of nearly 37,000 participants from the UK, researchers found that both men and women with children show enhanced brain connectivity in areas linked to movement and social interaction. This effect seems to arise from the caregiving environment rather than pregnancy itself, suggesting that parenting fosters mental resilience. Surprisingly, those with more children exhibited even more significant cognitive benefits, challenging the belief that parenting hinders mental sharpness.
The regions that decrease in functional connectivity as individuals age are the regions associated with increased connectivity when individuals have had children, said lead study author Avram Holmes.
We're seeing a widespread pattern of functional alterations, where a higher number of children parented is associated with increased functional connectivity, especially in parts of the brain related to movement, sensation and social connection.
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