Local Life - Wigan - March 2021

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Clumsiness
If you’ve been more accident-prone than usual recently,
or have found it harder to deal with fiddly tasks like fitting
a key into a lock, that could be due to brain aging.
Research carried out in America suggests that as we
age, we become less able to judge distance when we
encounter nearby objects. We also concentrate more on
the objects we are interested in and less on any obstacles
that lie in the way of our goal: typically that might mean
reaching for the pepper grinder and knocking over a
glass of wine on the way.
Losing your sense of smell and taste
If things don’t smell or taste as good as they did when
you were young, don’t blame the cook. We are all born
with around 9,000 taste buds on our tongues. These buds
are very good at regenerating, which is why, when you
burn your tongue, your sense of taste returns so quickly.
But as we age, our taste buds become less able to replace
themselves and we lose the sensitivity that helps us
identify different flavours.
The senses of smell and taste are closely linked and age can
be a factor in the loss of both, but if you notice a sudden
change in your sense of smell, there may be other causes,
such as nasal polyps, blocked sinuses or seasonal allergies.
Forgetfulness
You may have noticed that as you age, it becomes
harder to remember names, or recall something that
you have learned. The ability to remember learned facts,
life events and the names of people you have met is
called ‘declarative memory’, while remembering how to
tie a shoelace or ride a bike is part of your ‘procedural
memories’, which don’t tend to fade as quickly.
Another aspect of brain function affected by age is
‘working memory’: the ability to hold information such as
phone numbers, or where you have parked, in your head.
Working memory also applies to problem solving and the
speed at which you can process information.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
A study of over two thousand people, published in
America last year, reported that signs of brain aging were
more obvious in participants who smoked, had thicker
waists or who had health issues related to cardiovascular
disease or inflammation.
It’s clearly important to maintain a healthy lifestyle,
but this research also suggests that symptoms of brain
aging could arise from a medical condition, either a
current illness or one that is yet to be diagnosed. If your
symptoms came on quickly or are causing you distress, it
may be advisable to see a doctor.
Thankfully it’s not all a downhill spiral for our brains.
Neuroscientists are discovering that even old brains
have ‘plastic’ qualities that allow us to reroute neural
connections so we can adapt to new challenges. It’s good
to know that a healthy lifestyle, paired with activities that
keep your brain alert, can boost cognitive abilities and
ward off the signs of aging.
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