How is your "brainpower"? Many people may think that after the student years, brain functions such as memory gradually weaken, and even thinking ability begins to slow down.
In fact, studies have found that the human brain does not mature until at least the age of 30, and some abilities become stronger with age.
Experts interviewed
Zhu Yicheng, chief physician of the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Tang Yi, Executive Deputy Director of the National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases
The minimum age for brain maturation is 30 years
At a conference at the Oxford Academy of Medical Sciences in London, Professor Peter Jones, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, said brain maturation is a gradual process, reaching the state of adulthood until the age of 30.
In 2017, the American journal "Neuron" published a Harvard University study that found that the human brain is not fully developed at the age of 18, and it is not mature until the age of 30, which also finds a scientific basis for people who are less mature in their twenties.
In order to determine the age of brain maturity, the researchers analyzed a series of studies on the definition of adult age and brain development, and used some adult brains as reference models.
Studies have found that from adolescence to 20~30 years old, the key to brain changes is gray matter thinning, white matter thickening (both are components of the central nervous system), and by the age of 30, the indicators basically reach relative balance.
The main difference between people under 30 and over 30 is that the former is more likely to be distracted, and once faced with complex situations in life, people under 30 tend to show immaturity.
Based on the analysis of multiple results, the researchers finally determined that the minimum age for brain development and maturity is 30 years old. Even as the brain matures, some abilities still develop.
For example, after maturation, the prefrontal cortex of the brain continues to grow, and this area is mainly responsible for attention, complex planning, decision-making, impulse control, logical thinking, organizational thinking, personality development, risk management, and short-term and long-term memory.
Where in the mainland are people with stronger "brain power"?
Generally speaking, one of the criteria for measuring the level of brain power is the cognitive ability of the brain, including memory, language ability, etc. Strong brain power, relatively lower risk of cognitive disorders such as dementia.
Recently, the first national comprehensive index system for the prevention and control of cognitive disorders, the China Brain Cognitive Health Index (2023) (hereinafter referred to as the "Index"), was officially released, revealing the average brain ranking of people in different regions.
The "Index" was initiated by the National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, and reflected the comprehensive ability of residents in 31 provinces and municipalities in mainland China to prevent and control cognitive disorders in the form of quantitative scoring.
The results show that Beijing achieved the highest score of 61.31 points (out of 100 points), and Jiangsu, Hubei, Shanghai, Tianjin and Zhejiang ranked 2nd to 6th respectively, showing a trend of higher scores in the eastern region and cross-over rankings in the central and western regions.
Tang Yi, one of the initiators of the index, said that overall, Beijing's index ranks first among 31 provinces and municipalities, which means that the overall prevention and treatment of cognitive disorders is at the leading level in the country.
From the perspective of dimensions, it is mainly manifested that the score of diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders is much higher than that of other provinces, and the construction of cognitive centers leads the country.
Doing these things often makes the brain "old" slowly
Shozo Himatsu, professor of clinical neurophysiology at the Institute of Medicine, Kyushu University, Japan, pointed out in the book "15 Habits to Activate the Brain" that maintaining 15 small habits daily can help delay brain aging:
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1. Play with mobile phones with non-dominant hands;
2. Shout with the rhythm of the movement;
3. Use the middle, ring and little fingers to hold things;
4. Learn musical instruments;
5. Handwritten notes;
6. Use verses to exercise associative memory;
7. Do handicrafts;
8. Don't do things with a sense of obligation;
9. Do aerobic exercise;
10. Diet control, control blood sugar, eat more fish, vegetables, fruits, soybeans, seaweed and nuts;
11. Improve work efficiency;
12. Use mobile phones and watch TV in moderation;
13. Get up at a fixed time every morning;
14. Exercise spatial cognition;
15. Practice mindfulness meditation.
The above small habits to delay brain aging extend to daily life and can be divided into the following categories:
✓
Learn new things
Exposure to new things will allow brain nerve cells to establish new synaptic (nerve cell connections) connections, improve brain function, and also allow people to establish more connections with society to maintain brain function.
For the elderly, it can be difficult to get in touch with new things, whether it is learning a musical instrument, calligraphy, handicrafts and other hobbies, or practicing daily activities such as using a smartphone and learning a new dish.
✓
Exercise finger dexterity
Exercising fingers increases the number of synaptic connections in the brain to improve cognitive performance and enhance the ability of the left and right sides of the brain to process information independently of each other.
To work your finger dexterity, you can also refer to 4 exercises designed by the British Gymnastics Foundation to improve cognitive results:
Rotate your hands alternately: sit on a chair with your hands on your knees, one palm up and one palm down, and flip both hands 20 times at the same time;
touch the other fingers sequentially with your thumb;
Pinch the nose and ears: pinch the nose with the left hand and the left earlobe with the right hand; After clapping your hands, pinch your nose with your right hand and your right earlobe with your left hand;
Draw triangles and straight lines symmetrically with both hands, and when you are skilled in drawing straight lines and triangles symmetrically, you can practice drawing straight lines with one hand and triangles with the other.
✓
Maintain language skills
After the brain matures, through repeated stimulation of listening, speaking, reading and writing, new synaptic connections will be continuously established between brain nerve cells to maintain brain function.
People should maintain the habit of lifelong learning, read more books and newspapers every day, and maintain the ability to enter words; Write more, take notes, communicate with others more, and exercise language output skills.
✓
Participate in social activities
If the oxygen provided to the brain is insufficient and the nutrient imbalance (such as high blood sugar is too high), making it "malnourished" for a long time, it will accelerate aging, leading to stroke, dementia and other diseases.
Social activity is a complex training process for the human brain. For example, when making a meal, from side dishes, collocation, taste selection to cooking, the brain is always running, and these steps can stimulate the activation of the brain. ▲
Editor of this issue: Zhang Yu