Is brain decline inevitable with age?

There are many schools of thought on this subject. We offer two for your consideration.

• For the majority of us we experience some cognitive decline as we get older and surprisingly this often starts in our 20s. A smaller number of people appear to have some protective features that prevent decline. “As we age, the volume of the brain shrinks, neuronal networks operate less efficiently, neurons and synapses are lost, changes in cerebral vasculature and metabolism occur and inflammation levels in the brain increase. The way we live also changes as we age; physical activity often decreases, social networks may become smaller and many people are less cognitively active once they retire. These physiological and social changes begin in our 20s and 30s, collectively resulting in noticeable alterations in cognitive function in the decades that follow.” Best Practice Advocacy Centre.

• “It's a commonly-held belief that forgetting things is the first sign of a slippery slide into cognitive decline. However, researchers at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Toronto now argue that 'forgetting' is actually a form of learning that helps our brains access more important information. Forgotten memories, the researchers explain, are not really lost for all time - just made inaccessible. The findings also suggest that it might be possible to recover memories that had been thought to have been lost to disease - such as seen, for example, in patients with Alzheimer's.” You can listen to an interview on RNZ with Professor Tomás Ryan from Trinity College Dublin Why 'forgetting' is actually a new form of learning | RNZ

Both advise that there are things we can do to keep the brain in good functioning order – find out more here.

If you are concerned about dementia find out more here.   Contact Dementia New Zealand and Alzheimers New Zealand for further information - find their details on Making Life Easier.