Aging is an inevitable process and in this process The brain also undergoes many changes. So what exactly happens to our brains as we age?

Understanding the aging process of our brains, how we can resist these changes so that we can take precautions It is important for.

The human brain weighs about 1.36 kg and contains approximately 100 billion neurons and trillions of synapses.

The brain changes more throughout life than any other part of the body. From birth to old age, The brain’s complex structures and functions are constantly changing, making and breaking connections.

In the first few years, the brain over 1 million per second creates new neural connections. Brain volume increases fourfold during the preschool period, reaching 90% of adult volume by age 6.

The frontal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for executive functions, planning, such as working memory and impulse control performs functions. These areas are among the last areas of the brain to mature and may take until about age 35 to fully develop.

As we age, the brain, like the systems in our body, gradually weaken.

In this process mild memory impairment It is a normal part of aging. However, types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease are not part of the normal aging process. Memory changes associated with normal aging include:

• Difficulty learning something new: It may take longer to remember new information.
• Multitasking: A slower processing speed can make it difficult to schedule parallel tasks.
• Remembering names and numbers: Strategic memory begins to decline from the age of 20.

The shrinkage in regions involved in higher cognitive functions and the encoding of new memories, such as the frontal lobe and hippocampus, begins around age 60 or 70.

Thinning and decrease of connections caused by the decrease of synaptic connections on the outer surface of the brain, cognitive processing speed may contribute to its delay.

Consists of myelinated nerve fibers and between brain cells signal carrying task The white matter in the body shrinks as we age, which can lead to slower processing speed and decreased cognitive function.

The brain produces less chemical messengers as we age, such as dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin and norepinephrine decrease in neurotransmitters, It may play a role in loss of cognition and memory and increased depression.

Scientists are conducting various studies to understand the aging process of the brain.

In 2017, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York conducted a study in mice and found that stem cells in the brain’s hypothalamus regulates the rate of aging revealed.

This number of stem cells It naturally declines throughout life and accelerates aging. But reintroducing stem cells or the molecules they produce can slow or even reverse the signs of aging.

To protect brain health, exercise regularly, eat healthy, staying mentally active and maintaining social relationships We can take steps like: Even as our brains age, it may be possible to keep them young and healthy.

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