Memory loss can suddenly speed up with age: Study
Summary
A large international study reveals that memory loss with age is driven by widespread brain structural changes, accelerating especially in later life, beyond a single region or gene.
Key Points
- Memory decline accelerates with age due to widespread structural brain changes rather than damage to a single area.
- The hippocampus has the strongest link to memory loss, but many other brain regions also contribute.
- Brain shrinkage correlates nonlinearly with memory loss, with steeper declines once atrophy surpasses a threshold.
- Findings indicate broad biological vulnerability in brain structure, not solely genetic factors like APOE e4, underlie age-related memory decline.
