A study published in JAMA Neurology by UC Davis Health Medical Center reveals that people’s brains are growing over time, which could be a positive sign for conditions like Alzheimer’s. The study, reported on April 26, found that the brains of individuals born in the 1970s and later have 6.6% more mass and 15% more surface area compared to those born in the 1930s.
The study’s author, Charles DeCarli, a professor of neurology at UC Davis Health, pointed out that genetics play a significant role in determining brain size. However, external factors such as health, society, culture, and education also have some influence. The researchers examined data from the Framingham Heart Study, which spanned 75 years and analyzed MRI images of over 3,200 individuals born between 1925 and 1968.
The findings showed a gradual and steady increase in brain size over time. Brain size and surface area have increased over the years with additional mass found in the gray matter, white matter and hippocampus. These brain regions are crucial for memory, learning and communication between different brain areas. The researchers view these results as promising, suggesting that age-related memory decline including Alzheimer’s may be improving in the general population.
Overall, this research highlights the importance of factors like genetics
