Brain ages in five ways: a new discovery
New light on the aging process of our body, five ways in which our brain ages
Aging is a natural and inevitable process that involves every organ of our body, including the brain. In recent years, thanks to advances in medical technology and artificial intelligence, we have been able to better understand the changes that occur in our brains as we age. A recent study, published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine, has shed new light on this fascinating topic by identifying five ways in which our brains age.
Five signs of brain ageing
Using artificial intelligence trained to analyse thousands of magnetic resonance images, researchers identified five distinctive signs of brain ageing:
- Reduced brain volume: As we age, some regions of the brain become smaller, affecting cognitive functions such as memory and attention. It’s as if our brains “deflate” slightly
- White matter alterations: The white matter, which connects different areas of the brain, undergoes changes that can slow down the transmission of nerve signals. It is as if the “wires” connecting the various parts of the brain are deteriorating a little
- Changes in the cerebral cortex: The cerebral cortex, the outermost part of the brain, becomes thinner and changes its structure, affecting higher cognitive functions such as reasoning and language
- Temporal lobe alterations: The temporal lobes, involved in memory and language, undergo changes that may contribute to cognitive decline
- Changes in the base nuclei: The base nuclei, involved in movement control, may undergo alterations related to diseases such as Parkinson’s
Lifestyle and genetics: a winning combination
The study showed that brain ageing is influenced by both lifestyle and genetics. Factors such as diet, physical activity, sleep, stress and smoking can speed up or slow down the aging process. At the same time, genetic predisposition plays an important role in determining individual vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases.
The future of research
The discovery of the five signs of brain ageing opens up new perspectives for medical research. In the future, it may be possible to:
- Develop new drugs: By identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying brain aging, new drugs that can slow or reverse the process could be developed
- Use brain stimulation: Techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation could be used to improve cognitive functions and counteract cognitive decline
- Develop personalized interventions: By combining genetic information and brain structure data, individual interventions could be developed