Use it or lose it: How age affects cognitive skills
kAmr@?G6?E:@?2= H:D5@> E6==D FD E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E96fc>:==:@?]@C8^nDl4@8?:E:G6ZD<:==DQm4@8?:E:G6 D<:==Dk^2m 4@?E:?F6 56G6=@A:?8 F?E:= A6@A=6 C6249 E96:C 62C=J b_D 2?5 E96? 368:? 2 =@?8 72==] w@H6G6C[ E92E 4@?4=FD:@? 5@6D ?@E 4@>6 7C@> 7@==@H:?8 :?5:G:5F2=D 2D E96J 286] x?DE625[ :E 4@>6D 7C@> 4@>A2C:?8 E96 >2E9 2?5 C625:?8 D<:==D @7 :?5:G:5F2=D @7 5:776C6?E 286D 2E 2 D:?8=6 A@:?E :? E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@3=6> :D E92E A6@A=6 @7 G2C:@FD 286D 92G6 5:776C6?E 65F42E:@?2= 6IA6C:6?46D[ 5:776C6?E ;@3D 2?5 5:776C6?E 4:C4F>DE2?46D[ 27764E:?8 9@H E96J 56G6=@A 2?5 C6E2:? E96:C D<:==D]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^92?FD96<]DE2?7@C5]65F^AF3=:42E:@?D^286\2?5\4@8?:E:G6\D<:==D\FD6\:E\@C\=@D6\:EQm}6H C6D62C49k^2m 7:?5D E92E D<:==D EJA:42==J C:D6 F?E:= E96 c_D[ 27E6C H9:49 C625:?8 D<:==D 86?E=J 72== 2?5 >2E9 D<:==D >@C6 DE66A=J] tG6? 96C6[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 DE@CJ :D ?@E D@ D:>A=6] %96D6 2G6C286D >2D< E96 724E E92E 2?J 564=:?6 :D 4=@D6=J E:65 E@ 9@H >F49 E96 D<:==D 2C6 FD65]k^Am
kAm$:>A=J AFE[ A6@A=6 H9@ C625 2?5 5@ >2E9 @? 2 C68F=2C 32D:D 9@=5 @? E@ E9@D6 D<:==D 2E =62DE :?E@ E96:C e_D]k^Am
kAmt4@?@>:DED 2C6 :?E6C6DE65 :? F?56CDE2?5:?8 E9:D 3642FD6 C625:?8 2?5 >2E9 D<:==D 2C6 4=@D6=J C6=2E65 E@ 64@?@>:4 @FE4@>6D] |@C6 9:89=J D<:==65 :?5:G:5F2=D E6?5 E@ 62C? >@C6[ 2?5 4@F?EC:6D H:E9 >@C6 D<:==65 A@AF=2E:@?D 8C@H 72DE6C] w6C6 :D E96 3:8 :DDF6i |@DE 56G6=@A65 4@F?EC:6D @7 E96 H@C=5 92G6 28:?8 A@AF=2E:@?D] s@6D E9:D E96? :>A=J H@CD6 64@?@>:4 @FE4@>6D 2D 8@:?8 7@CH2C5nk^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C49 492==6?86 :? 2?DH6C:?8 E9:D BF6DE:@? 92D 366? 2 =24< @7 2AAC@AC:2E6 52E2] u@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ 6I:DE:?8 52E2 @? 286 2?5 D<:==D 5@ ?@E 4@>6 7C@> @3D6CG:?8 2 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 D2>A=6 @7 A6@A=6 2D E96J 286] x?DE625[ E96J 4@>6 7C@> 4@>A2C:?8 E96 D<:==D @7 5:776C6?E A6@A=6 @7 5:776C6?E 286D[ D2J @?6 2E b_ 2?5 @?6 2E c_[ 2?5 2DDF>:?8 E92E 27E6C 28:?8 7@C `_ J62CD[ E96 b_\J62C\@=5 H:== =@@< =:<6 E96 c_\J62C\@=5]k^Am
kAmqFE E96D6 EH@ A6@A=6 8C6H FA :? 5:776C6?E 4:C4F>DE2?46D[ H:E9 5:776C:?8 BF2=:EJ D49@@=:?8 2?5 @E96C 724E@CD E92E >:89E 27764E E96:C D<:==D] %9FD[ 2?J 67764ED @7 28:?8 2C6 >:I65 FA H:E9 @E96C D@4:6E2= 724E@CD]k^Am
kAm%9:D AC@3=6> :D @G6C4@>6 3J FD:?8 F?:BF6 v6C>2? 52E2 E92E 7@==@H 2 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 D2>A=6 @7 b[aeb 25F=ED @G6C 2 E9C66\ E@ 7@FC\J62C A6C:@5] pE E96 :?:E:2= DFCG6J 2?5 282:? 2E E96 =2E6C DFCG6J[ E96 :?5:G:5F2=D 2C6 8:G6? E96 D2>6 C625:?8 2?5 >2E9 E6DE] %9FD[ :E :D A@DD:3=6 E@ @3D6CG6 5:C64E=J E96 :>A24E @7 286 @? D<:==D]k^Am
kAm$<:==D @? 2G6C286[ 4@?E:?F65 E@ :?4C62D6 :?E@ E96 c_D[ 2?5 E96J ?6G6C 5:AA65 36=@H E96 =6G6=D E96 :?5:G:5F2=D 6?;@J65 :? E96:C a_D]k^Am
kAm!6C92AD E96 >@C6 :>A@CE2?E 7:?5:?8 :D E92E 6G6? E9:D =2E6C 564=:?6 :D ?@E :?6G:E23=6] %96D6 2G6C286 A2EE6C?D 9:56 E96 5C2>2E:4 5:776C6?46D :? 28:?8 36EH66? E9@D6 H9@ FD6 =:E6C24J 2?5 ?F>6C24J D<:==D 4@?D:DE6?E=J 2E 9@>6 @C H@C< 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ 5@ ?@E] %96 DFCG6J 52E2 2D<65 23@FE E96 7C6BF6?4J @7 5@:?8 D6A2C2E6 :E6>D DF49 2D “42=4F=2E:?8 AC:46D[ 4@DED[ @C 3F586ED” 7@C >2E9 @C “C625:?8 =6EE6CD[ >6>@D[ @C 6\>2:=D” 7@C C625:?8]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 H:E9 23@G6\2G6C286 FD286 ?6G6C D9@H65 564=:?:?8 D<:==D 2E =62DE F?E:= 286 ed[ H96? @FC 52E2 6?565] %9@D6 H9@ H6C6?’E >F49 FD:?8 >2E9 @C C625:?8 D<:==D A62<65 :? E96:C 62C=J b_D]k^Am
kAmx?E6C6DE:?8=J[ 32D65 @? 2DDF>65 9:89\D<:== FD286[ D@>6 AC6G:@FD 2?2=JD6D 7@==@H65 E96 D<:== A2EE6C?D 7@C H9:E6\4@==2C 2?5 9:89=J 65F42E65 H@C<6CD] p>@?8 AC@76DD:@?2=D @C 9:89=J 65F42E65 :?5:G:5F2=D[ E9@D6 H9@ FD6 E96 D<:==D ?6G6C D9@H 564=:?6D H:E9 286[ 3FE E9@D6 H9@ 5@ ?@E FD6 E96 D<:==D 5@[ :? 724E[ DE2CE E@ 564=:?6] (@>6? D9@H 2 D92CA6C 5C@A :? ?F>6C24J D<:==D 2D E96J 8C@H @=56C E92? >6?[ A6C92AD 32D65 @? 65F42E:@?2= 324<8C@F?5 @C 42C66C 49@:46D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 @FC C6DF=ED[ :? AC:?4:A=6[ @776C D@>6 4@?D@=2E:@? 7@C 4@F?EC:6D H:E9 28:?8 A@AF=2E:@?D[ E96J 2=D@ 9:89=:89E E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 A@=:4J 2EE6?E:@? E@H2C5 ?@E @?=J E96 244F>F=2E:@? @7 D<:==D :? D49@@=D[ 3FE 2=D@ E96:C C6E6?E:@? E9C@F89 FD:?8 E9@D6 D<:==D 2?5 AFCDF:?8 =:76=@?8 =62C?:?8]k^Am
kAmu@DE6C:?8 6IA2?565 =62C?:?8 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E2<6D @? :?4C62D65 :>A@CE2?46 H:E9 DF49 D@4:6E2= 492?86D 2D E96 3C@25 :?EC@5F4E:@? @7 G2C:@FD 7@C>D @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E96fc>:==:@?]@C8^nDl2CE:7:4:2=Z:?E6==:86?46Qm2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46k^2m[ H9:49 4@F=5 7@C46 2 =2C86 ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6 E@ 492?86 H92E 2?5 9@H E96J 2C6 5@:?8 E96:C H@C<] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ H9:=6 E96 :562 @7 =:76=@?8 =62C?:?8 :D 7C6BF6?E=J 5:D4FDD65 :? A@=:4J 4@?E6IED[ =:EE=6 92D 366? 5@?6 E@ >2<6 :E 2 C62=:EJ] k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E96fc>:==:@?]@C8^2CE:4=6^FD6\:E\@C\=@D6\:E\9@H\286\27764ED\4@8?:E:G6\D<:==D^Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2m k6>mH2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E96fc>:==:@?]@C8Qmk6>m%96 fck^6>mk^2m k6>m2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.