Elderly, Young Brains Can Compete on Some Tasks

According to the conclusions of a new scientific research, it would appear that the brains of seniors are just as capable of performing certain mental tasks as the young brain. This is not the case for all types of tasks, of course, but even so, the finding puts a dent in previous theories on the issue.

For many years, scientists believed that the aging brain becomes less capable of performing mental exercises. The new study demonstrates that this decrease in processing ability does not affect everything the brain is capable of, but rather certain segments.

In a new series of experiments, seniors and young adults were asked to reach a decision after being confronted with the same scenario. Both age groups selected accuracy over speed when it came to making the right choice, and behaved along the same line of thought.

“Many people think that it is just natural for older people's brains to slow down as they age, but we're finding that isn't always true,” says Ohio State University study researcher Roger Ratcliff, quoted by LiveScience.