Why brain aging can vary greatly from person to person

CNN
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Researchers are uncovering a deeper understanding of how the human brain ages and what factors may be associated with healthier cognitive aging, including exercise, quitting tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

Some aspects of cognitive ability in later life may be associated with test scores around age 11, according to the study. review article published Thursday in the journal Genomic Psychiatry. from Genomic Press, New York.

In a data-driven article Lothian birth cohort studies in Scotland, suggests that around half of the cognitive decline in older people (which is why some people may experience more cognitive decline than others) may have already been present in their childhood.

However, some adult lifestyle factors remain associated with improved cognitive function and slower brain aging.

“We found that things like staying physically and mentally active and active, having a small number of ‘vascular’ risk factors (such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, BMI), speaking a second language, playing a musical instrument and younger age. look at the brain and many others show significant but small associations,” Simon Cox, author of the new paper and director of the Lothian Cohort Study at the University of Edinburgh, said in an email.

“We came up with the idea that Marginal Gain, Not a Magic Bullet is a good way to think about the recipe for better cognitive aging: instead of finding that one single thing carries a huge risk, we see lots and lots of ( often overlapping) factors, each of which likely increases the risk of cognitive aging to some extent,” Cox said.

He added that such lifestyle factors, when considered together, could explain “about 20%” of the variance observed in cognitive decline between ages 70 and 82.

The Lothian birth cohorts include data from two studies of older people: a group of Scottish adults born in 1921 and another group born in 1936. They all took a validated cognitive test at age 11 and were then tested at ages 70, 80, and 90 for cognitive function and physical fitness, among other factors.

“We first performed MRIs on participants when they were 73 years old. To me, one of the most striking things about the study is how large the differences are between their scans,” Cox wrote.

“Even though they were all the same age, some of the brains looked perfectly healthy (and would not be out of place among scans of 30-40 year olds),” he said. “While others showed significant reduction and damage to white matter connections, as well as other features associated with cognitive aging and dementia.”

White matter is tissue that forms connections between brain cells and the rest of the nervous system, helping these areas communicate with each other through nerve signals. Shrinking or damaged white matter can slow the brain’s ability to process information.

Overall, “this shows us that brain aging at age 73 is not inevitable, and also greatly motivates us to explore what we can do to emulate those lucky few who reach this age with such an intact brain,” Cox said .

Older people whose memories seem as sharp as those of people 20 to 30 years younger are called cognitive superelderly.

“Not all aspects of brain aging occur simultaneously in the same individuals,” Cox said. “We are now studying whether different constellations of features of brain aging are driven by specific subsets of risk factors.”

Dr Richard Isaacson, a brain aging researcher, said he was interested in the new paper.

“This was a really practical, narrative look at the ‘nuts and bolts’ of why this type of research is so difficult, as well as some best practices for retaining as much value as possible when you’re embarking on a long-term study like this,” said Isaacson, director of research Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, which was not involved in the article.

There is extensive research into key lifestyle differences that may contribute to differences in brain aging. For example, bad sleep key risk factor For cognitive declineand known mental health problems such as depression. risk factors for the development of dementia.

Regular walking or cycling just three times a week can improve thinking abilitiesaccording to 2018 study. Adding a heart-healthy diet to your daily routine can also help. slow down brain aging and reduce the risk of dementia. And the 2020 study assumes that Daily meditation may slow brain aging.

Experts developed a tool called the Brain Care Score and published the study. Last year showed that it can help evaluate a person risk of developing dementia or stroke with age.

21 points According to a study published in the journal, refers to how a person copes with 12 health-related factors related to the physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional components of health. Frontiers in Neuroscience. The researchers found that participants with higher scores had lower risk. dementia or stroke later in life.

These 12 factors are blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index, diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, aerobic activity, sleep, stress, social relationships and finding meaning or purpose in life.

For those who hope improve the health of your aging brain“It’s important to see your doctor at least once a year or twice a year to talk about your overall physical health, vascular health and chronic conditions,” Isaacson said.

“These things may not exactly cause Alzheimer’s disease, but they can accelerate cognitive aging and cognitive decline. So visit your primary care doctor and get your blood pressure checked—everyone should know their numbers. What is your blood pressure? What is your fasting blood sugar level? What are your cholesterol levels? – he said. “Another important thing is to look after your bone health. I think a lot of people don’t know that bone health, muscle strength and grip strength are things that are absolutely critical and predictive of brain health outcomes over time.”