Throughout every stage of your life, your brain is changing and evolving. From quick learning in your younger years to the wisdom and adaptability of adulthood, each phase reflects a shift in your brain’s structure, function, and connectivity.
Understanding your “brain age” can help shed light on your cognitive health, allowing you to make informed decisions to protect and enhance your brain – and stay sharp in the long run.
We can’t predict how our brains will change over time, but we can use advanced imaging tools – like a complete body scan – to help us prepare and detect conditions that may impact cognitive function.
How Your Brain Changes with Age
Have you ever noticed how children seem to learn and retain new information with ease? That’s because in those early years, the brain forms more than a million new neural connections every second. But that’s not the only thing that changes with your brain.
Structural Changes
Just as your hair turns grey and wrinkles start to show, your brain also begins to change as you age. By the time you reach your 30s and 40s, your brain begins to shrink, and the rate at which it shrinks increases by age 60.
However, not all areas of the brain will shrink at the same rate. The areas that often show the most significant volume loss are the prefrontal cortex, the cerebellum, and the hippocampus – all of which play a crucial role in cognitive functions.
Neuron Changes
In those early years of life, your brain forms over a million new neural connections. However, as the brain ages, individual neurons could begin to contribute to the shrinkage and cortical thinning of the brain. As these connections between the brain begin to deteriorate, your learning and memory capabilities start to suffer.
Chemical Changes
The final changes our brains undergo as we age are all chemical. Studies report that older brains synthesize less dopamine, and one study found that 60 and 70-year-olds with mild cognitive impairment had less serotonin.
An Aging Brain and the Nervous System
Your nervous system is your body’s central control system, responsible for your movements, senses, and even your thoughts. Comprised of pathways that carry signals to your brain, called nerves, the nervous system experiences similar changes to the brain as you age.
Unfortunately, these changes can result in abnormal outcomes that may alter your quality of life.
Think of your nervous system like a network of electrical wires in a new home. In the beginning, the wires are fresh, the connections are fast, and respond with ease. However, as the house begins to age, the wires may fray and connections become loose, causing that light to take a bit longer to turn on than it used to – that is how your nervous system functions as you age.
As your nervous system ages, your brain and spinal cord lose nerve cells and weight. When this occurs, the nerves find it harder to communicate and carry signals to your brain and the rest of your body. Plaques and tangles begin to form, affecting your ability to move, slowing your thoughts, and affecting the strength of your senses.
In some cases, these changes can result in dementia. One of the most recognizable types of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that results in memory loss and other cognitive functions. While memory loss can be a normal part of the aging process, Alzheimer’s disease itself is not.
But that’s where full-body scans come into play.
Staying Ahead of an Aging Brain with a Full Body MRI Scan
We can’t stop ourselves from aging, but there are things we can do to help keep an eye on our health – and a whole body MRI is just the tool for the job.
Full-body scans enable the screening of nearly 500 health conditions across 13 organ systems, capturing detailed images of the body’s internal structure. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, a full body scan will allow you to take a proactive approach and spot early abnormalities or warning signs of the progressive disease.
Schedule a Full-Body MRI Scan Near You Today
At MRI Wellness, our goal is not only to leverage the latest advancements in healthcare technology but to provide you with peace of mind.
Schedule your full-body MRI in Charleston, SC, and take the first step toward peace of mind today.
