Some Brain Areas Appear to Resist Aging

We may lose some of our mental agility as we grow older, but recent research suggests that certain areas of the brain do not slow down at all with aging. Researchers analyzed the spatial intelligence abilities of a small group of older adults aged 55 to 95 and compared them with those of younger adults aged 18 to 38. Spatial intelligence involves the ability to distinguish one object from among an array of visual stimuli. Spatial attention skills are centered in the right cerebral hemisphere, a region that also controls tasks involving the senses of hearing and touch.

The study found no differences between the younger and older participants, suggesting that certain cognitive systems in the right cerebral hemisphere are protected from the effects of aging. “Our results challenge current models of cognitive aging because they show that the right side of the brain remains dominant for spatial processing throughout the entire adult lifespan,” said the lead author of the study, which was presented at the 12th International Cognitive Neuroscience Conference in Brisbane, Australia. “We now need to better understand how and why some areas of the brain seem to be more affected by aging than others.” The research follows an earlier study that found that older adults who process visual information rapidly are less likely to experience declines in mental acuity. MMM

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