Evidence for neuroplasticity into advanced age speaks to the lifelong adaptability of the human brain

Evidence for neuroplasticity into advanced age speaks to the lifelong adaptability of the human brain

The human brain ages less than thought and in layers—at least in the area of the cerebral cortex responsible for the sense of touch. Researchers at DZNE, the University of Magdeburg, and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at the University of Tübingen came to this conclusion based on brain scans of young and older adults in addition to studies in mice.

Touch-Processing Brain Layers Age Differently

Researchers found that the touch-processing region of the brain ages in a layered pattern, with some layers staying resilient while others thin over time. High-resolution MRI scans revealed that the middle and upper layers of the primary somatosensory cortex often remain stable or thicken with age, likely due to frequent sensory stimulation.