From the beginning of human evolution, our creative brains have constantly helped us to develop new technologies and techniques to eliminate predators, produce more food, defend our communities, travel the globe, and prevent disease. In so doing, we’ve ushered in a new age of existence, in which a greater number of people are living longer than ever before in our history.
In a world of increasingly extended human lifespans, where so much depends upon invention, one of the most important issues is brain health. What are the mental, emotional, and spiritual consequences of developing medical, social, and technological means to help more people live longer lives?
Are debilitating mental and physical issues — rooted in brain changes associated with aging — unavoidable? Should we expect ever-growing numbers of people to require constant care by family members, medical professionals, and nursing-home staff? What can help make these “extra” years of life more meaningful and satisfying?
All of these questions essentially hinge on how we learn to keep our brains healthy. Surprisingly, maintaining our brains’ health is more than just a matter of having good genes, sticking to a good diet, and avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits. New research is showing that having a healthy brain, especially as we age, is an intensely creative, social, and spiritual endeavor.
Scientists tend to agree that certain physiological changes commonly occur as our brains age. Blood flow decreases, and circulation of oxygen and spinal fluid is reduced. This leads to the buildup of toxins and free radicals that can potentially harm the brain. In some individuals, the development of brain plaque leads to serious neurological diseases. Not exactly a pretty picture, right? These “brutal truths,” as some researchers refer to them, may be more or less unavoidable.
But don’t despair! Our brains, like our bodies, have the ability to compensate for the normal degradation of certain structures and processes. Recent brain research has revealed that we actually have an incredible amount of brain plasticity. Plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize its flow and function to provide necessary mental and physical capabilities. Evidence of this can be seen in individuals who relearn speech using different regions of the brain after their verbal centers have been damaged due to injury or disease.
The plasticity of the brain allows us to deal with brain “degradation” without losing function. Even more interestingly, some scientists suggest that processes which are typically thought of as “degradation” could actually contribute to new and useful ways of thinking. For example, the demyelination of neurons as we age (the breakdown of myelin sheaths that help neurons function) is often seen as evidence of a degrading brain. However, researchers now theorize that this process could actually contribute to freer connections between diverse thoughts and memories — in short, more creative thinking.
