(image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jun. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has revealed that senior citizens who think of themselves as being younger than their actual age have “younger” brains than those who regard themselves as older than their real age.
According to research conducted by professor Choi Jin-yeong of Seoul National University published in the international journal “Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience,” the results could mean that the subjective age perceived by human beings may be related to the actual age of the brain.
The research team asked 68 senior citizens in their 60s to 80s if they felt they were younger than their age or if they felt older.
Of the respondents, the 29 people who said they felt younger were, on average, 70.93 years old. When the age of their brains was measured, they were found to be 73.24 years old, indicating a difference of 2.31 years.
For the 20 people who felt older than they actually were, their average age was 73.75 years, with 77.15 years being their average brain age, a difference of 3.4 years.
The results showed that people who felt older than their age had brains that were measured as “older.”
Choi said that the results were based on regression analysis and not a mere indication of a mathematical difference.
The research team also stated that people of the same age could feel either younger or older than their actual age. This meant that a subjective perception of their age had an effect on the brain’s age.
The subjective sentiment that one “is growing old” may have affected their own brains to age faster, said the research team.
Choi also went on to say that the aging process is different for each individual, adding, “People are much more aware of the aging process than they think they are.”
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
