A Look at Ageing and Everyday Mental Function
It’s said that when you don’t use it, you lose it. Behnaz Sanjana switches on the (brain) fog lights to understand mental ageing more clearly.
We often lament how the physical body changes with age, but have you ever thought of how your mind is impacted by the passing years too? Dr Piyush Ostwal, specialist neurologist at Bahrain Specialist Hospital, tells us what happens to the brain with time and how we can keep it optimally functioning for as long as possible.
Cognitive ageing, what’s that?
Cognitive aging refers to a decline in some mental abilities like reasoning, memory and processing speed which is seen with advancing age. But all is not bleak, as the doctor says that there are other cognitive functions which do not deteriorate as we get older and, in fact, may improve, like vocabulary.
What’s age got to do with it?
The normal function of the brain depends on the neurons (cells that transmit information to other nerve cells, muscles or gland cells) and their interconnections forming circuits through which information flows. It is scientifically known that the volume of the brain reduces with ageing. With time, neurons do not divide that often, so dead neurons are not replaced and their numbers gradually decline. This process has been documented to start as early as in one’s 20s!
Slow Motion
Processing speed is the speed with which mental activities are performed. The peak of psychomotor performance and processing speed is achieved in the third decade (yes, all you quick-witted 20-somethings) and subsequently it starts trailing (hello, dirty 30s). The cognitive domain of attention is also noticeably affected with age influencing the ability to focus and concentrate on a task.
Don’t be Dumb and Dumber
So, what can one do to decelerate cognitive ageing and keep the grey matter as sprightly as possible? The doctor prescribes maintaining an active lifestyle and participating in intellectually engaging activities that have been shown to preserve cognitive function with age – solving puzzles, reading, group discussions, playing board games, higher education and playing a musical instrument. Indulging in physical fitness by way of exercise, gardening or dancing helps keep the brain healthy. Socialising, travelling and participating in cultural events also delays cognitive aging.
The Intellectual Battle
Neurologists believe that overall age-related cognitive decline begins earlier in men than women. The female hormone oestrogen is thought to have a protective effect on brain function. Women perform better on tasks of verbal memory which is the ability to remember and reproduce what you have heard. (Gentlemen, beware! Your words can and will be stored and retrieved for future use.)
Relaxing repetitive actions like knitting and crocheting improve and maintain mental agility
Menopausal women may experience a mental slump, which is nothing to be alarmed at. There is a proven relation between the fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone during menopause and moodiness, an ever-present brain fog and a weaker memory. These cognitive effects are temporary and leave no structural changes to the brain.
