WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A study involving approximately 37,000 people suggests that having children may help slow brain aging.
Researchers at Rutgers University and Yale University in the U.S. conducted the study, which indicated that parenthood plays a 'protective role' in maintaining brain function in mid-to-late life.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study reveals that each additional child a parent has is linked to improved brain connectivity, counteracting the typical decline seen in middle and late adulthood. This effect was particularly notable in brain areas responsible for movement and sensation.
'Parenting more children is associated with higher brain-wide functional connectivity, especially in networks associated with movement and sensation,' the team said.
'These same networks showed lower functional connectivity associated with higher age, suggesting that parenthood might protect against functional brain aging.'
The data, sourced from the UK Biobank, suggests that despite the physical and emotional challenges of parenting, raising children could provide essential cognitive stimulation, physical activity, and social engagement, contributing to long-term brain health.
While parenthood profoundly impacts both body and mind, neuroscientists still know relatively little about its long-term effects on the brain. Initial research on first-time fathers, for example, suggests a slight reduction in cortical volume. However, this shrinkage occurs in brain regions associated with parental acceptance and warmth, leading scientists to believe it may be an adaptation for their new role.
'The caregiving environment, rather than pregnancy alone, appears important since we see these effects in both mothers and fathers,' said Rutgers University's Avram Holmes.
To investigate the later-life effects of parenthood, cognitive neuroscientist Edwina Orchard led a study at Yale University analyzing brain scans of nearly 20,000 women and over 17,600 men from the UK Biobank, all aged 40 and older.
The results showed a positive correlation between parenthood and functional brain connectivity. Typically, aging brains exhibit reduced connectivity in the somato/motor network and increased connectivity within cortico-subcortical systems. However, in parents aged 40 to 69, the opposite trend was observed, suggesting a potential link between raising children and preserving brain function.
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