What is Normal Age Related Cognitive Decline?
Our brains peak in our twenties. By the time we get to our thirties, they begin shrinking at a rate of one half of one percent per year. Because other areas of the brain compensate for neuronal pathways that are lost, we generally do not notice a change until middle age, around 45 – 65. By then it’s the rare individual that does not lose their car keys or find themselves in the kitchen with no idea of what they are doing there. And names, always tricky, become devilishly illusive. 3. The Importance of Cognitive Reserve The more neuronal reserves we have, the older we are likely to be when we notice cognitive decline. The more developed our cognitive pathways are, the more likely we are to have alternate routes on the information highways in our brain. It’s just like Bob Woodward, the news anchor with brain injuries from the Iraq war. He was able to make a better recovery because he was a lawyer who spoke Mandarin, had traveled widely and was employed at a mentally demanding job as a ne
