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Brain's Adaptability to Age-Related Cognitive Decline Unveiled in New Study

Research shows older adults' brains can recruit unused regions to maintain cognitive function, offering insights into potential interventions for cognitive health.

Old man suffering
(Photo credit: OpenAI's DALL·E)
Brain imaging studies have shown that fluid intelligence tasks engage the ‘multiple demand network’ (MDN), a brain network involving regions both at the front and rear of the brain, but its activity decreases with age. Credit: Neuroscience News

Overview

  • A groundbreaking study reveals the brain's ability to compensate for age-related cognitive decline by activating additional regions.
  • The cuneus region, involved in visual attention, plays a key role in this compensatory mechanism, especially in older adults.
  • Increased activity in the cuneus correlates with better cognitive performance, suggesting a strategic adaptation of the brain.
  • The research, involving 223 adults aged 19 to 87, provides the strongest evidence yet of the brain's adaptability in aging.
  • Future studies may explore interventions to enhance cognitive resilience, focusing on lifestyle or education factors.