8 Ways to Keep your Brain Healthy as you Age

Age Related Changes to Brain

The human brain is a staggering feat of engineering. Throughout our lifetimes, the human brain changes more than any other body part. During the first few years of life the brain forms more than 1 million new neural connections every second. Our brain function is thought to peak in our 20s, be fully formed by the age of around 35 years, and begins to change in subtle ways between the age of 30 and 40 years. The overall volume of the brain begins to diminish, with the rate of shrinkage increasing more rapidly after the age of 60.

Shrinkage is not uniform throughout the brain. Some areas shrink more and faster than others; with the most dramatic changes being seen in the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus. These areas coincidentally are the last areas to mature in adolescence, coining the scientific theory ‘last in, first out’.

Aging leads to more ‘tip of the tongue’ moments for just about everyone. Although, you may argue that younger people experience just as many, it is just that they are not concerned by these gaps in memory. Anxiety associated with these temporary lapses and the risk of dementia diagnoses heighten awareness with age.

The brain begins to work less quickly; just as a 75 year old probably couldn’t run as fast as a 30 year old, the brain won’t function just as quickly either. The most notable changes to our memory can be split into different categories:

• Processing Speed, which refers to how quickly our brain processes information and then provides a response. This may mean that you require more time to take in new information and to formulate a response, compared with your younger self. A reduction in processing speed can affect many aspects of life, one of the most commonly impacted being driving, which requires the ability to process lots of information and quickly formulate appropriate responses.
• Our Working Memory can be affected, which is the ability to temporarily hold information in the mind and manipulate it, for example, remembering a new phone number and then dialing it. Password and pin numbers can also be more difficult to retain as we age.
• Our Episodic Memory or declarative memory also deteriorates. This leads to difficulties remembering personally experienced events or knowledge and education gained over the years.
• Prospective Memory refers to the ability to remember to do things in the future.

Though the above abilities may decline with age, changes are gradual. Every person is different, and genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors play a part, affecting us all differently. Although some subsets of memory are negatively affected, there are others that remain the same, for example, our procedural memory which is our ability to learn new skills. Although you may be slower and require more practice to learn new skills, the ability to learn never changes significantly. The same goes for our semantic long term memory, which refers to our ability to recall factual information acquired over time, such as capital cities.

The prospects of a slowing, shrinking brain may appear scary. However, it is not all downhill from the age of 30. Certain cognitive abilities actually improve in our middle age. Our verbal abilities, math, spatial and abstract reasoning all heighten. Also procedural memories, such as riding a bike or tying shoe laces tend not to be affected by brain changes.

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Brain

Contrary to the belief ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ there is growing evidence that we can, and do continue to learn throughout our lives. Evidence suggests that training and looking after the brain pays off at every age. It may not rejuvenate or function just as quickly but the brain is able to learn new information with age. Some tips for maintaining a healthy brain are:

Socialise regularly. People are social by nature and maintaining a strong network of connections is beneficial for both brain health and wellbeing. We appear to benefit and function more optimally when we are connected to others. Strong support generally makes us less prone to anxiety related problems, which in turn can affect brain function. Conversation acts in the same way as undertaking a mental activity, such as completing a crossword; by exercising the brain and keeping it agile.

Practice relaxation. Excess levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, may shrink the hippocampus, a part of the brain needed for certain types of memory function. Therefore, long term stress can be a factor in memory loss. Stress can also increase your risk of developing anxiety and depression, both of which affect the memory. Stress management and relaxation become vital, with a good technique for management being deep breathing exercises. For more tips on maintaining positive mental health click here.

Get enough sleep. It is recommended that people over the age of 65 years get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Scientist have long been aware that a good night's sleep benefits mood, alertness, concentration, judgment and is vital in memory retention. Although the reasons are not fully understood, research has suggested that sleep deprivation causes metabolic waste products to accumulate in the brain, impairing its function. The connection between sleep and memory has been studied for more than 100 years, with the main concentration being on the effects of deprivation. More recently, however, it has been noted that excessive sleep can also affect brain function.

Exercise regularly. Keeping your body fit in turn keeps the mind fit.  Exercise increases blood flow to the brain which may promote neurone growth. That's not to say that you suddenly have to start running or undertaking excessive aerobic activity. Research has shown that taking a brisk walk 3 days per week boosts mental function. You can gradually increase activity levels, adding physical activity to everyday life, for example taking the stairs or spending time cleaning or gardening. If you are to undertake a more vigorous activity, such as riding a bike or scooter, make sure to wear a helmet and protect your head (head injuries are an important risk faster for brain damage and memory loss). If like me you are currently in lockdown you can try exercising from home by clicking here.

Eat well. Like your body, your brain also requires a healthy diet to function well. A healthy diet goes a long way towards preventing health complaints such as high blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, which in turn can impact brain function. Protein is vital in providing the brain with essential amino acids. Good sources of protein include, fish, poultry, lean meats, grains, pulses and dairy foods. Plenty of fruit and vegetables supply the antioxidants that protect your neurones. Unsaturated fats are also important and are present in oily fish, olive oil and nuts (particularly walnuts). Carbohydrates are also vital. They supply the glucose, a form of sugar, and the fuel that neurones need to function. Good sources of healthy carbohydrates are brown rice, chickpeas, kidney beans, wholegrain bread and oatmeal. Essentially a Mediterranean diet has always been known to be good for the heart, now it is also considered excellent for brain function.

Quit smoking and moderate alcohol. Smokers have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease compared with non smokers, but you can reduce the risk by quitting smoking. Drinking in moderation is recommended. Heavy drinking over prolonged periods can lead to brain damage. That's not to say that quitting drinking is the answer. Although it is unclear as to why, there is evidence to suggest that a moderate alcohol intake can prevent memory loss.

Pursue a Purpose to improve brain function. Like physical exercise, mental exercise keeps the brain supple. After the age of 40 taking up a new skill, for example learning a language, undertaking a course (whether formal or on your own) is beneficial. The good thing about aging is retirement, providing you with time to take up a new hobby. If there is something you have always wanted to pursue, now is the time to give it a go. Gaining new knowledge supports a healthy brain. Covid-19 lock down has given me more time than usual, which has enabled me to read more, write more and even start a course. I signed up to an art history course online which I am enjoying immensely. The one I am completing is through a company called Art for Introvert and incurs a cost, however there are lots of free courses available online through companies like EdEx. 

You may not feel the need to undertake formal training, but completing crosswords, playing chess or scrabble, or calculating in your head rather than using a calculator all help in keeping that brain active and healthy.

Boost Memory through learned skills. Good recall is a learned skill. There are ways to improve a failing memory no matter your age. Some suggestions include: making sure to pay attention to whatever it is you want to remember, for example if you are busy thinking about other things you may not remember where you put your keys. Memory triggers also work well, for example, link a name you want to remember to a mental picture. Finally, practice using your memory, using methods such as trying to remember short lists, such as a grocery list.

Conclusion

I’m not sure we will ever truly understand why some of us decline more rapidly, both physically and mentally; while some do not. Some of the world’s greatest minds have in the end succumbed to dementia, while some over 100 year remain incredibly sharp. There is a whole area of research in to Cognitive Super Agers. Some people in their 80’s, 90’s and beyond defy the common assumption that cognitive decline goes hand in hand with aging, having the memory and recall of 20 to 30 year old. Working in my field I have encountered many wonderful seniors, some as old as 102 years that possess brilliant minds. It may be just ‘luck of the draw’ in the end, but we can all actively try to look after our bodies and minds, making every effort to minimise the effects of aging.