Neuroplasticity is the brain's awesome ability to change and adapt. As we get older, this ability can change a lot. Here are some important points about how aging affects our brain:
Less New Brain Cells: When we are young, our brain makes about 700 new brain cells each day in an area called the hippocampus. By the time we reach 60, this number can drop to less than half.
Learning Connections: There's something called long-term potentiation (LTP), which is really important for learning and memory. Unfortunately, this ability to strengthen connections in the brain goes down by around 50% in older adults compared to younger people.
Thinking Skills: About 40% of people who are 65 or older experience some kind of decline in thinking skills. This decline is connected to a drop in neuroplasticity.
Brain Size: Starting at around 30 years old, the size of our brain shrinks by about 0.2% to 0.5% each year. This can make it harder for different parts of the brain to work well together.
Adapting to Change: Even though getting older lowers neuroplasticity, older adults can still create new connections in their brains. Studies show that exercising can help boost neuroplasticity and keep our brains healthy.
In summary, while getting older can make it tougher for our brains to adapt, we can still make choices in our lives that help keep our brains strong and flexible.
Neuroplasticity is the brain's awesome ability to change and adapt. As we get older, this ability can change a lot. Here are some important points about how aging affects our brain:
Less New Brain Cells: When we are young, our brain makes about 700 new brain cells each day in an area called the hippocampus. By the time we reach 60, this number can drop to less than half.
Learning Connections: There's something called long-term potentiation (LTP), which is really important for learning and memory. Unfortunately, this ability to strengthen connections in the brain goes down by around 50% in older adults compared to younger people.
Thinking Skills: About 40% of people who are 65 or older experience some kind of decline in thinking skills. This decline is connected to a drop in neuroplasticity.
Brain Size: Starting at around 30 years old, the size of our brain shrinks by about 0.2% to 0.5% each year. This can make it harder for different parts of the brain to work well together.
Adapting to Change: Even though getting older lowers neuroplasticity, older adults can still create new connections in their brains. Studies show that exercising can help boost neuroplasticity and keep our brains healthy.
In summary, while getting older can make it tougher for our brains to adapt, we can still make choices in our lives that help keep our brains strong and flexible.