Next year I will be turning 40. It seems a bit absurd. I feel almost the same as when I celebrated my 20th birthday. I have barely recovered from the ups and downs of adolescence and now it seems like I am facing a midlife crisis.
I’ve tried to deny it, but there’s no escaping the truth. Middle age is generally thought to start at 40 and end in your early 60s. And while the most visible signs might be wrinkling of the skin around your eyes and mouth, new research suggests that during this time, my brain will also undergo a series of important changes. These include accelerated shrinkage of certain brain regions, loss of connectivity across the brain, and inflammation-related neuronal damage, all of which appear to contribute to later cognitive decline.
This might sound like it adds to my existential angst, but there’s also room for optimism: midlife turns out to be a critical window of opportunity for maintaining brain health.
The bottom line is that making concrete lifestyle changes (even beyond the obvious) in your 40s and beyond can have an immediate impact on your memory and concentration. What’s more, with some perseverance, you’re more likely to keep your mind sharp and active into old age, and significantly reduce your risk of dementia. “It’s never too late to make a change,” says Sebastian Dohm Hansen of University College Cork…
