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What’s Your Brain’s Age and Should You Be Concerned?
While we may know our chronological age, our brain’s age is another matter, and there are reasons for the differences.
There are certain physical parameters related to age and physical attributes, and one of them, albeit not entirely accurate, is brain development and aging. At around age 2, the cerebral cortex, the brain’s wrinkly outer layer, reaches its thickest point; this area is important in functions including perception, language, and awareness.
The brain’s gray matter volume, which measures the totality of brain cells, reaches its peak at age 7 in childhood. But the brain’s development and morphology aren’t static, as we now know. The potential for cells to die off or for new or strengthened connections (brain neuroplasticity) is one of the wonders of this incredible organ.
The volume of white matter reaches its peak at age 30 and starts to shrink as an adult. White matter is made up of the connections between neurons that allow different parts of the brain to communicate quickly. Can we do anything to “repair” or improve our brain’s white matter? The answer is that we can, and guess what? Reading is the key, so hit the books right now and work on your brain’s super highways.
At older ages, the volume of the brain’s ventricles, which are cavities filled with fluid…
