Page 66 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

50 • Chapter 2

Photo courtesy of Winfield Leitzer

Older and Wiser

Rosemary Austin, 77, possesses naturalist intelligence. The
Weather Channel is one of her favorites. She is very interested in
and conscious of the times for sunrise and sunset, ocean tides,
moon phases, and the like. Her many and varied houseplants qual-
ify her for a “green thumb” award. She never gets lost and always
knows the shortest route to any destination.
She also possesses linguistic intelligence. Since retiring from a
successful teaching career, she has written several novels and is
very active in several romance writer associations.

No matter what our age, we can create new connections
within the brain. It is repeated exposure to new information
that grows these connections. The more connections we have,
the deeper the brain’s resources upon which to call. As adults,
we can produce and fine-tune neuron connections much as a
baby creates new connections after birth. We also can grow
new cells, particularly in the hippocampus (the area helping
us to store new memories and continue learning). Research
such as the Seattle Longitudinal and Baltimore Longitudinal
studies prove that not only can you maintain mental agility
and performance as you age into your 80s and beyond, you