Key to healthy aging may be found in brains blue spot heres how it works

Turns out, your brain isn’t just a squishy mass of pinkish-grey.Hidden deep inside is a tiny “blue spot” that plays a major role in our cognition — and a new study shows that it goes through a dramatic evolution as we age.Researchers believe that those changes could offer valuable clues about who might be at risk for serious neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s as they age.Here’s everything you need to know to stay ahead in the battle against memory loss.The locus coeruleus is a small but mighty region tucked deep within your brainstem.It gets its distinct blue color from a pigment called neuromelanin, which is formed through chemical reactions involving norepinephrine.

This neurotransmitter helps us stay focused, form new memories, manage stress levels and even regulate our sleep cycles.Scientists believe the locus coeruleus is the brain region most vulnerable to the physical changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease, with signs of the illness possibly appearing years — or even decades — before any noticeable symptoms appear.“By examining the health of the locus coeruleus and its relation to cognitive aging processes, these data may reveal when an individual is on a healthy aging trajectory and advance our understanding of why certain groups may have higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease later in life,” said Dr.

Adam Anderson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Cornell University. In the study, Anderson and his colleagues recruited 134 participants aged 19 to 86, about 40% of whom were people of color.The researchers then used advanced MRI scans to measure the intensity of neuromelanin in the participants’ brains, which is believed to reflect the health and activity of the locus coeruleus.They uncovered a clear pattern: In healthy participants, the intensity of neuromelanin starts low in young adulthood, gradually rises to a peak in later middle age, and then takes a sharp decline after age 60.This discovery, researchers...