Scientists Germany have cast doubt a previously believed assumption that the processing speed our brain starts to decline the age 20. now, it has been thought that our cognition level peaks when we are 20 and declines thereafter. Lead researcher doctor Mischa von Krause, Heidelberg University, offered hope to older people who worry increasing forgetfulness or reduced brain power. He said cognitive skills were still powerful the age of 60 and do not diminish then. He wrote: "Our finding is encouraging, as our results show that average levels mental speed in contexts demanding fast and forced decisions do not decline until relatively late in the lifespan."
The study was based data from 1.1 million people, aged 10 and 80 years old. The results show that our mental processing speed remains relatively constant the age of 60, but does start to decline our seventh decade. The researchers said people's mental processing speed actually increases their 20s and remains high 60. Dr von Krause said: "Until older adulthood, the speed of information processing the task we studied barely changed." He added that older people do take longer to make decisions, but said this was because we become more cautious, and less impulsive and reckless as we age. The study could cast light neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
