2024-04-04 20:09:18
Scientists have uncovered a fascinating development: our brains are getting bigger. This could be beneficial for many people living today.
Compared to other mammals, the human brain is very large. But growth doesn’t seem to have reached its limit yet: Over the last century, our brains have become increasingly voluminous, as a study by US researchers shows. Anyone born in the 1960s has a brain that is almost seven percent larger than someone born in the 1930s.
New study shows: Brain mass is constantly increasing
The research team at the University of California evaluated brain scans from more than three generations as part of an observational study. The study included 3,226 participants (53 percent female, 47 percent male) with an average age of approximately 57 years at the time of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The birth years of these test subjects ranged from the 1920s to the 1970s.
The result of the evaluation: The average brain volume has increased by around six percent within four decades. While people born in the 1920s had an average brain volume of 1,234 milliliters, people born in the 1960s had an average brain volume of 1,321 milliliters. According to the study, this corresponds to an increase of 6.6 percent.
But it’s not just the volume that seems to increase over time. According to the researchers, the surface area of the brain also increased – by almost 15 percent. Even after taking increasing body sizes into account, they were able to determine that the brain is growing faster than the rest of the body over the decades.
The scientists suspect several reasons behind the observed brain growth. “Genetics play an important role in determining brain size, but our results suggest that external influences – such as health, social, cultural and educational factors – may also play a role,” explains study author and neurobiologist Charles DeCarli. The larger brain structures observed in the study could be due to overall improved brain development and health caused by these factors.
Does the risk of Alzheimer’s decrease with a larger brain?
But does the risk of developing Alzheimer’s decrease with larger brain mass? According to the researchers, this positive effect could actually occur. The constant growth of people’s brains could provide some protection against age-related brain diseases. One thing is certain: these days, fewer and fewer people are suffering from neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“Larger brain structure represents greater brain reserve and can buffer the later effects of age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” says DeCarli. “The decade in which someone is born appears to influence brain size and potentially long-term brain health,” he concludes.
Shortly
Dementia is the generic term for a group of similar age-related complaints that are accompanied by dysfunctional, reduced perception. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for around two thirds of all cases.
At the same time, he warns against generalizing the results of the study. Participants were predominantly white, healthy, and well-educated and therefore do not represent the entire U.S. population. Further research is therefore necessary to obtain a more complete picture of this development.