Massive brain study reveals why memory loss can suddenly speed up with age

Key Highlights

• While the hippocampus plays a key role, many other brain regions also contribute, forming a broad vulnerability rather than isolated damage.
• Share: Facebook Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY A huge brain-imaging study found that memory decline with aging is tied to widespread brain shrinkage, not just one region or gene.
• Credit: Shutterstock An unprecedented international research effort combining brain imaging and memory testing from thousands of adults is offering a clearer picture of how age-related brain changes affect memory.
• By bringing together data from multiple long-running studies, scientists were able to examine how memory performance shifts alongside structural changes in the brain over time.
• The analysis drew on more than 10,000 MRI scans and over 13,000 memory assessments from 3,700 cognitively healthy adults across 13 separate studies.