Not everyone’s brain seems to age the same way. Some elderly people you meet may still be as sharp as ever, while others couldn’t tell you what they had for breakfast. Now, new research is giving us a deeper understanding of why that may be.
A recent paper published Thursday, Nov. 7, in the journal Genomic Psychiatry tested brain aging theories. Researchers found about half the variabilities that cause some to experience more cognitive decline than others may already have been present in childhood.
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They said some aspects of cognitive abilities in older age may be connected to test scores around age 11.
However, researchers said cognitive decline isn’t inevitable. Some adult lifestyle factors still appear to be linked with improved cognitive performance and slower aging of the brain.
Researchers said factors like exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument may be linked to healthier cognitive aging.
One of the study’s authors explained it like this: “marginal gains, not magic bullet.” That means there isn’t one single thing that puts you at a bigger risk for cognitive decline, rather, lots of factors play into it.
