Whenever I speak to audiences about brain health, I ask, “Has anyone noticed any changes in their brain in the last decade or so?” Inevitably everyone – and I mean everyone – over age 50 raises their hands. They laugh and share examples of forgetting names, car keys, even occasionally losing a car (I’ve done all of the above). The 20- and 30-something audience members look on with a mix of disdain and pity. I always imagine them thinking “poor old people…”
Well it turns out that my anecdotal experience appears to match the findings of a new study. We start to experience some cognitive decline around age 45 on. In an article published last week in BMJ (British Medical Journal), researchers found that – contrary to many other studies – cognitive decline can start long before the age of 60. Continue reading “Does middle age mark the beginning of cognitive decline?” »
