#brain-aging

#brain-aging

At a certain point, older folks occasionally develop a penchant for making verbal slurs, mental stumbles, rambling speeches, and confusing responses. They often claim that they have no memory of making those misstatements; they might not be lying. They may be experiencing the most common consequences of advanced age coupled with chronic obesity due to a poor diet. Mind-wandering, confusion, and a reduced ability to organize and focus thoughts are classic early symptoms of dementia.

Experts are finding that the best way to understand how the brain ages is not by examining individual parts, but by studying its overall structure and how its different regions interact with one another. In a large study, researchers from Irvine, California and Tenerife, Spain, used brain scans to measure these shape changes. They discovered that as people age, the brain does not shrink evenly. Instead, it changes shape in specific ways.

Aging is a complicated thing, and no two people age in the exact same way. You might encounter someone in their seventies who seems decades older; you might also take in a jazz performance by a centenarian saxophone player. A few weeks ago, I saw Willie Nelson, still crooning and playing the guitar at the age of 92. Not everyone has the same support infrastructure as a touring musician - but that doesn't mean there aren't applicable lessons to be learned here.

Walking speed at age 45 has been linked to significant brain aging markers, with slower walkers experiencing greater cognitive decline and reduced brain volume over time.

"In a study of more than 50,000 brain scans, researchers found that features such as the thickness of the cerebral cortex can predict how quickly a person's ability to think and remember will decline with age."