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Brain Functioning of Middle-aged adults vs. Younger Adults

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Did you know that in most individuals the brain is slightly smaller at the end of middle adulthood than it is in the beginning? The synapses that were formed in early childhood begin to disappear as adults age, yet middle-aged adults tend to outperform younger adults on a multitude of tasks. Why do you think that is?

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Solution Summary

If the synapses that were formed in early childhood begin to disappear as adults age, how do middle-aged adults manage to outperform younger adults on a multitude of tasks? Read on to learn about the theory behind this interesting process.

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Let's first keep in mind that the purpose of the synapses is to transfer information in the brain. Basically, experience activates certain cells repeatedly, making corresponding synapses ...

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Carmel Philistin, MBA/HCM
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  • MBA/HCM, Phoenix University
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