3 ways your brain changes with ageing
Your entire body changes when you age, including your brain, which is responsible for everything. Regardless of your physical or neurological health, there is such a thing as “cognitive ageing.” It happens to the best of us!
So, what are these changes?
1. Processing speed
This refers to how quickly the brain can process information and provide a response. Processing speed affects almost every function in the brain, and it’s measured by how quickly you can manage a mental task.
How it changes with ageing:
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It decreases over time.
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The decrease starts in early adulthood, so by the time you reach your 70s and 80s, your processing speed is significantly down compared to the speed you once had in your 20s.
2. Memory
Memory is complex, and there’s different kinds of memory, but these are the functions that you’ll notice changes in as you age:
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Working memory, the ability to hold information and manipulate it mentally, declines
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Episodic memory, the ability to remember personally experienced events at a certain plane or time, declines
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Prospective memory, the ability to remember to do things in the future, declines
3. Attention
The ability to concentrate and focus on something specific so that information can be mentally processed changes.
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Selective attention, the ability to focus on something specific despite distractions or irrelevant stimuli, declines
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Divided attention, also known as “multi-tasking”, declines
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Sustained attention, the ability to remain concentrated on one task for an extended period of time, declines
Can anything be done?
Unfortunately, there is no way to combat cognitive ageing, but there are things you can do to keep your brain healthy, which in turn will help keep you sharp.
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Adequate sleep
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Proper nutrition
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Stimulate your brain with crosswords, sudoku or brain training apps
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Speak to people every day
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Read more
The longer you wait to help keep your brain healthy, the harder it becomes for your brain to remember things.
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