THINK YOUNG, STAY YOUNG
Remaining young at heart could slow the speed at which grey matter declines, wiping years off your brain’s actual age, say scientists from Seoul National University in South Korea. MRI scans have revealed that elderly people who feel younger than their physical age show fewer signs of brain ageing than those who either feel their age or older. The former group not only scored more highly in a memory test, but displayed the structural characteristics of a younger brain, too.
Why and how this happens isn’t yet clear, but scientist Dr Jeanyung Chey speculates: ‘An intriguing possibility is that those who feel younger are more likely to lead a more physically and mentally active life, which could cause improvements in brain health.’