Offer description:

The Young brain—including the brain stem, medulla, pons, reticular formation, thalamus, cerebellum, amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus—regulates basic survival functions, such as breathing, moving, resting, feeding, emotions, and memory.

It's no secret that our bodies change as we grow older. Over time, we feel aches and pains in joints we once used to spring up and out of bed in the morning. But in addition to our bodies changing as they grow older, our brains are also constantly transforming throughout our lives—and it’s not as simple as you might think. Some functions like memory, processing speed, and spatial awareness deteriorate as we age, but other skills like verbal abilities and abstract reasoning actually improve.

Why does this happen, though? And what does the changing nature of our most complex organ tell us about our aging selves and our aging population from a public health perspective?