How the Brain Works The Facts Visually Explained by DK (z-lib.org)

50

THE PHYSICAL BRAIN

The Aging Brain 51

SUPER-AGERS’ BRAINS

S TAY LOOKING YOUNG

FOR THEIR WHOLE LIVES

Old brain

As we age, brain cells die and spaces within

and around the brain enlarge. The cortex

thins, and areas like the hippocampus

shrink, often causing memory problems.

Both gray matter (neuron bodies)

and white matter (densely

packed axons) are lost.

CAN WE TREAT

ALZHEIMER’S?

Medication can slow down

the progression of the disease

and manage some of the

symptoms, but a cure for

Alzheimer’s has not yet

been found.

Loss of gray and

white matter enlarges

size of ventricles

Iron accumulates in

basal ganglia, possibly

causing abnormalities

Rapid response

to stimuli is first skill

to decline

At middle age,

skills like spatial

orientation stop

improving

Vocabulary keeps

increasing until

old age

Numerical ability

requires working

memory, which often

declines with age

Decay of white matter

leads to inefficient

transmission of signals

Subarachnoid space

enlarges, reflecting loss

in brain volume

A slow decline?

As we get older, our attention

suffers, and our brains become less

plastic. This makes learning harder,

although not impossible. In fact,

learning new things throughout

life boosts brain health and may

stave off cognitive decline by

strengthening neural synapses.

And with age come some benefits:

on average, older adults are better

at extracting the big picture from

a situation and using their life

experience to solve problems.

KEY

Inductive

reasoning

Numerical

ability

Spatial

orientation

Verbal

ability

Perceptual

speed

Verbal

memory

Age

Average test scores

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

32 39 46 53 60 67 74 81 88

Skills and abilities

The Seattle Longitudinal Study followed

adults for 50 years. It found that skills like

vocabulary and general knowledge keep

improving for most of our lives.

US_050-051_The_Aging_Brain.indd 51 20/09/2019 12:32