Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: doppler1 on 07/04/2010 07:48:11

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: doppler1 on 07/04/2010 07:48:11

Are we able to determine how long the human brain can continue to function provided it receives all of its oxygen and blood requirements? I have heard that the heart could be good for 120 years in optimized circumstances so what is the brains potential life span in optimized circumstances. Considering it has no moving parts as such for functioning, what wears on the brain and can't we take provisions to reduce any wear and tear on this vital organ??

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: RD on 08/04/2010 02:24:11

Quote

'Brain decline' begins at age 27

Mental abilities decline at a relatively young age, experts suspect

Mental powers start to dwindle at 27 after peaking at 22, marking the start of old age, US research suggests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7945569.stm

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: doppler1 on 08/04/2010 05:31:08

Many thanks RD!! I suspect that if the brain starts to decline in its functionality at such an early age then transplanting a brain with its memories into a younger head would in fact not be very useful unless we can establish how to prevent the degradation of the brain or at least postpone it. I guess being able to upload and download memeories would be far more useful.

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: Bored chemist on 08/04/2010 09:40:16

I guess that research was done by someone older than 27.

If ability peaks at 22 but declines at 27 what does it do in between? If it remains constant then you can't really call 22 a peak, it's a plateau.

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: doppler1 on 08/04/2010 09:55:40

Thanks Bored chemist!....good point. So I wonder how these things are measured. How do we know that brain efficiency runs on the plateau of performance between 22 and 27? I know some 50 year olds that have a much better memory than 22 year olds

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: doppler1 on 08/04/2010 10:04:41

I get that the study was performed on quite a few people based on some scientifically designed tests but how is it that some aspects of the brain decline while others continue increasing until we are 60 or so.

Is there no way to prevent the decline of the specific parts of the brain...the article implies that mental excercises at an early age could hold off the decline process.

How do you take your brain out for a workout from a physiological perspective....do you need to excite the brain by getting impulses to travel around?

Title: What is the life span of the human brain?
Post by: B_NgHuman on 10/05/2010 20:43:48

Just need some confirmation:  Is there a relationship between intelligence and brain volume?  It has been said that the average person's brain volume peaks at age 20.  And the brain volume decreases as you age, it may start as early as age 40.  Is there any data that supports any relevance to the brain volume?  Or is the decrease in brain volume off set by brain plasticity and the establishment of new cneuronic pathways?