You are Still Building Lifelong Brain Cells!

Many seniors worry about the loss of “brain power”, as they age. In the April 2015 edition of Psychological Science, some cognitive skills such as remembering names, learning new words, and processing new information, peak at different times.

This research reports that word knowledge does not peak until our 60’s and 70’s. This information was based on results of standard IQ and memory tests, taken online by 50,000 participants, ranging in age from children to senior citizens.

Word processing tends to decline in your 20’s, and memory tends to decline in your 40’s. However, these declines can be prevented or slowed down with little effort. The June 2015 issue of  “JAMA Neurology”, reports on a study stating that people who did puzzles, read every day, or learned a new skill, showed a much slower decline in brain power than those who did not engage in theses mental activities.