Greater experience causes older brains to slow down, study shows

We are all familiar with the saying “older but wiser.” And new research may prove this to be true. A new study published in the journal Topics in Cognitive Science suggests that as we age, our brain functions slow down as a result of greater experience, not because of cognitive decline.

According to the research team, led by Dr. Michael Ramscar of the University of Tuebingen in Germany, the reason why brains of older adults slow down is because they take longer to process constantly increasing amounts of knowledge.

They argue that this process is frequently confused with cognitive decline.

To reach their findings, the investigators programmed computers to act like humans.

Each day, the computers “read” a certain amount of data while processing new information.

The computers then carried out a series of tests using measures that are traditionally used to determine cognitive abilities. These included word recall tests.

Increased knowledge, not cognitive decline

The researchers found that when they limited the computers to reading a set amount, the cognitive performance of the computers was similar to the cognitive performance expected from a young adult.

However, the investigators discovered that when the same computers read unlimited data – the equivalent to a lifetime of experiences – their cognitive performance resembled that of an older adult.

The researchers say that the cognitive performance of the computers slowed down, not because of a decline in processing capacity, but because the unlimited data increased their database, meaning they needed more time to process the information.

Explaining what their findings mean, the study authors write:

“The results reported here indicate that in older and younger adults, performance in psychometric testing are the product of the same cognitive mechanisms processing different quantities of information. Older adults’ performance reflects increased knowledge, not cognitive decline.”

‘False assumptions’ about the aging mind

The investigators say that their findings suggest that society needs to rethink what is meant by the “aging mind,” as “false assumptions” may deprecate the aging population and lead to wastage of public resources on problems that do not exist.

“Imagine someone who knows two people’s birthdays and can recall them almost perfectly,” suggests Dr. Ramscar. “Would you really want to say that person has a better memory than a person who knows the birthdays of 2,000 people, but can ‘only’ match the right person to the right birthday nine times out of ten?”

The researchers note that many of the measures used to determine cognitive ability are “flawed,” but technology, such as the computers used in this study, may be able to aid improvements in this area.

Dr. Ramscar adds:

“Technology now allows researchers to make quantitative estimates about the number of words an adult can be expected to learn across a lifetime, enabling the team to separate the challenge that increasing knowledge poses to memory from the actual performance of memory itself.”

This is not the only study to link greater experience to functions of the aging brain. Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that the life experience of older adults offsets age-related cognitive decline.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271608.php

 

 

 

Multiple sclerosis may increase risk of developing cancer

Individuals with multiple sclerosis may have an increased risk of developing any type of cancer, with an especially high risk of developing breast cancer. That is the conclusion of a recent study published in European Journal of Neurology. Because the findings contradict earlier studies, additional research is needed to determine whether a true link exists between multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Previous research suggests that some individuals with autoimmune diseases may have an increased risk of developing cancer, but most studies have found no link between cancer and multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that involves the central nervous system.

To investigate further, Li-Min Sun, MD, of the Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and his colleagues assessed data from the National Health Insurance System of Taiwan, including information on 1292 patients who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis between 1997 and 2010. Each patient was matched with four participants without the condition.

“Our study was a nationwide population-based cohort study, and it revealed unexpected findings,” said Dr. Sun. Specifically, the team found that individuals with multiple sclerosis were 85% more likely to develop cancer than the controls. Their risk of developing breast cancer was especially high, with more than a 2-fold increased risk over controls.

The findings suggest that patients with multiple sclerosis patients may need to be monitored closely to ensure early detection of cancer. Dr. Sun notes that it is unclear why his team’s results are not consistent with most other studies. “The underlying genetic and environmental factors in Taiwan, which differ from those of western countries, might play an undetermined role. Additional large-scale studies will help improve our understanding,” he said.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/271227.php

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