Aging in brain found to hurt sleep needed for memory
Aging in brain found to hurt sleep needed for memory.
Scientists have known for decades that the ability to remember newly learned information declines with age, but it was not clear why. A new study may provide another interesting insight.
The study suggests that structural brain changes occurring naturally over time interfere with sleep quality, which in turn blunts the ability to store memories for the long term.
Previous research had found that the prefrontal cortex, the brain region behind the forehead, tends to lose volume with age, and that part of this region helps sustain quality sleep, which is critical to consolidating new memories.
