Aging does not mean cognitive decline across the board. In fact, some key brain skills improve well past age 70, according to a new study. According to researchers, these are amazing properties that can enrich our society enormously.
Yes, it’s true that as we age, the brain doesn’t «switch» quite as quickly as it does in a 30-year-old. But it doesn’t have to be, because it has had enough time to develop other important skills over the course of its life. An international team of researchers from Georgetown University, Washington, has now determined what these are using special tests. Their results shed new light on popular beliefs about how aging affects the psyche.
In which abilities the old brain is superior to a younger one
The study, which was recently published in the journal «Nature Human Behavior», highlights two important key functions of the brain that only really develop later in life: the ability to absorb new information and the ability to deal with stressful situations the ability to focus on specific things.1 These traits, in turn, mean that as you get older you may be vastly superior to many younger people in decision-making, self-control, navigation, mathematical understanding, and language. «These results are astounding and have important implications for how we should look at aging,» said study leader Prof. Michael Ullman in a university statement.2
Study with 702 elderly volunteers
The researchers came to this finding after studying different aspects of attention and executive function (mental processes that control behavior and feelings) in 702 men and women between the ages of 58 and 98. The scientists chose this age group because most cognitive changes occur during this lifetime. They focused primarily on those brain networks that are involved in alerting, orientation and executive inhibition. Alerting is characterized by a state of heightened alertness and readiness to act on incoming information. Orientation helps us find our way in space, while the network of executive inhibition filters out distracting or conflicting information so we can focus on what matters most.
How alerting, orientation and executive inhibition help in everyday life
«We use all three of these processes all the time,» explains co-author Dr. Joao Verissimo. “For example, if you are driving a car, alerting increases your alertness when approaching an intersection. Orientation occurs when you direct your gaze to an unexpected movement, e.g. B. a pedestrian. And executive function allows you to block out distractions like birds or billboards so you can focus on driving.”
Two brain functions improve with age
The study found that only the ability to alert decreased in the subjects. In contrast, two other skills improved significantly with age: orientation and executive inhibition. This means that older people have an excellent overall view of the situation they are in and are less susceptible to external disruptive factors. Skills that are good for our distracted and overexcited society, as they lead to greater serenity and inner peace, among other things. And those who are relaxed can concentrate better. Why are the Methuselahs so good at it? According to the researchers, the answer is quite simple: life experience. People aged 60 and over simply have better practice at navigating all kinds of situations in life.
We need to rethink our notion of the «aging brain.»
For a long time, it was assumed that all of the brain’s abilities decline equally with age. «But the results of our large study show that some skills actually improve with age.» For Veríssimo, Ullman and their research team, it is clear that the topics of aging, the psyche and the brain need to be rethought. They hope that their results will also help to develop better therapies and prevention options for dementia and Alzheimer’s.