Good News About Aging Brains

Article submitted by Zane Robertson of Active Minds For Life. For further information, they can be reached through their website www.ActiveMindsForLife.com.

With all the information that has become available in recent years regarding Alzheimer's disease and dementia, it's about time for some good news. Scientists are discovering new things about the human brain every day and this is changing the way people view healthy aging.

It used to be that the conventional thinking was that aging was a long, slow process of ever declining mental functioning. While there is some truth to this beyond middle age, most scientists now believe in a more complex view of brain aging. Recent studies have demonstrated that older brains actually become more adaptive. Tasks that younger brains accomplish with one part of the brain are often accomplished by several parts of the older brain. One theory is that the brain is much more flexible than previously thought and is rewiring its functioning in order to compensate for losses in some areas. This is a completely new concept! The notion that brains can continue to adapt, evolve, and even grow new neurons and pathways in people as old as 70 and beyond is not something that has been thought possible in the past.

The research also supports the "use it or lose it" notion of brain health. Those who engaged in regular cognitive activities (such as attending educational seminars, discussion groups or learning a new language) had higher levels of brain functioning and lower rates of Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. The brain is a muscle like any other and benefits from regular exercise.

Older brains, it is true, are often less nimble making it harder to switch tasks, make quick decisions or assimilate complex information. Many older brains, however, appear to outperform younger brains in tasks that require a higher degree of integrated thinking-this is the "wisdom" that makes older brains comparatively better for activities such as coaching, editing, or practicing medicine. Overall, the ability to index and manage information and extract meaning increases with age. Scientists do not completely understand why this is, but they believe it may be the result of more complex pathways built up over years of collecting information.

Finally, older brains seem to mellow with age, resulting in increased calm and serenity. Brain imaging studies have shown less evidence of fear, anger and hatred in older brains and psychological studies have confirmed that, on average, older adults are less impulsive and less likely to dwell on negative emotions. Older brains seem to be more comfortable with ambiguity and less susceptible to frustration and irritability. One possible explanation for this is that the brain's amygdalae (the brain's "alarm system," if you will) becomes less reactive over time, resulting in increased serenity.

So, don't accept the notion that aging brings an unavoidable mental decline. It doesn't have to be that way. Find something you enjoy that is mentally challenging and make it a regular part of your life. Your brain will thank you for it.

Zane Robertson is the President of Active Minds®, a Denver based provider of educational programs for seniors. He is a frequent speaker on lifelong learning and senior education and serves on the Denver Commission on Aging and the board of the Denver Coalition for Seniors. Active Minds programs are available in many of Denver's finest senior residential communities as well as a variety of public venues. For more information, contact Mr. Robertson at 303-320-7652 or visit www.ActiveMindsForLife.com.