Neuroscience News reports:

As human beings age, many cognitive functions naturally decline. Brain scans have consistently shown age-related deterioration in neural networks responsible for executive functions, working memory, and problem-solving. But when it comes to language, the aging brain tells a completely different, highly resilient story.

Barring neurological conditions such as stroke or dementia, most older adults retain excellent language skills. In fact, many individuals experience linguistic improvement as they accumulate a richer vocabulary throughout their lives.

A newly published brain imaging study—a collaboration between researchers at MIT and Boston University—has finally uncovered the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon.

By analyzing the brains of older and younger adults, scientists discovered that activity in the brain’s language processing network remains remarkably stable as we age. When performing language tasks, older adults exhibited neural activation patterns almost completely identical to those seen in younger adults. [Continue reading…]