2024-09-27 02:04:25
The human brain has always puzzled scientists. Now, for the first time, it has been decoded why and how the brain deteriorates with age.
As we get older, our brains also age. This is not news. But did you know that the very areas of the brain that make us human are most susceptible to age-related decline? A current study by scientists from the Jülich Research Center and the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf provides new insights.
For their study, the researchers analyzed brain scans of 198 chimpanzees and 480 people of different ages. They used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a special pattern recognition algorithm. The aim was to find out which age-specific changes occur in the brains of humans and chimpanzees and where exactly these changes occur.
The astonishing result: While the gray matter in the brain decreases with age in both humans and chimpanzees, there are striking differences in the affected areas. “Humans showed the greatest age-related declines in the frontal and prefrontal cortex,” reported Sam Vickery from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and his colleagues. These areas of the brain are responsible for, among other things, working memory, self-control and higher thinking functions.
In contrast, in chimpanzees, the gray cells in the temporal areas and deeper regions such as the striatum – a region that is important for motor functions and the reward system – shrink.
But why are the evolutionarily youngest brain areas in humans so affected by aging? The answer lies in evolution itself. The study confirms a common hypothesis among biologists: structures that have developed more recently are less robust to age-related changes. This is particularly evident in the orbito-frontal cortex and the insula – both areas of the brain that are crucial for conscious perception, evaluation of stimuli and empathy.
However, evolutionarily older brain regions such as the basal ganglia or the middle temporal lobe are largely spared. In other words: All those areas of the brain that make us unique as a human species and distinguish us from monkeys – our ability to think complexly, for example – are particularly susceptible to aging.
The new findings also provide important insights into the weak points of our brain. According to the study authors, they could even offer starting points for combating mental decline in old age. However, further research is still necessary. Read here which simple habits you can use to protect your brain from diseases such as dementia.