Science News reports:

The cerebellum, the wizened “little brain” nestled in the base of the skull, may help keep us sharp as we age.

Regions at the back of the cerebellum that resisted shrinkage with age were tied to better mental functioning, or cognition, even in people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers report June 10 in Nature Neuroscience.

Though traditionally thought of as a movement control center, scientists now know the cerebellum is a key player in cognition. Researchers also know that parts of the cerebellum don’t age in unison, but the aging cerebellum is a relatively new area of research.

In the new study, the team first analyzed brain scans and cognitive test scores from more than 700 U.S. adults whose data was collected as part of the Human Connectome Project, a brain mapping initiative. The test measured abilities including short-term memory, attention, language and visualizing 3-D objects.

A clear trend emerged: The cerebellum tended to be smaller with increasing age, but the bigger the cerebellum, particularly in regions in the rear of the little brain, the higher the score on cognitive tests. The trend held even after adjusting for the different levels of education among participants, Princeton University neuroscientist Frederick d’Oleire Uquillas and colleagues report. [Continue reading…]