'Your cognitive peak isn't in your 20s': A landmark study just demolished everything we thought about brain ageing | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Misplacing belongings, misremembering names and forgetting words are widely considered the hallmarks of an ageing mind.

But what if they don't have to be?

A landmark new study suggests the brain remains far more adaptable than many people realise, with researchers finding its performance can be significantly improved at any age.

Scientists at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas tracked almost 4,000 people aged 19 to 94 over three years to investigate whether regular brain training could boost cognitive performance.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study found that simple daily exercises helped keep the brain firing on all cylinders, regardless of the number of candles on participants’ most recent birthday cakes.