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Could exercise be the key to having a sharp mind in later life?

An extraordinary study of people during their childhood and old age is revealing how — and why — our brains change as we get older.

In 1932 and again in 1947, almost all Scottish 11-year-olds sat a test which gauged their thinking abilities.

The results lay on a shelf until 1999, when academics at the University of Edinburgh discovered them and invited the children — by then in their 60s and 70s — to be tested again.

As Brainwaves revealed, this study has provided a unique insight into how our brains age. And it continues to do so, because the participants who are now in their 80s and 90s are still being tested.

Key findings from an extraordinary study

Professor Ian Deary reveals some discoveries from the Lothian Birth Cohorts research.

Professor Ian Deary has worked on the project, known as the Lothian Birth Cohort Studies, since 1999.

He explained that one of the key findings from his research is that, when repeating the test for 11-year-olds at an older age, the people who were at the top of their class at school tended to remain in the same tier. Those in the middle and bottom tiers also remained in the same position.

“However, that’s only half the story,” said Professor Deary.

Professor Ian Deary with the participants

Environmental influences

He continued, “It seems that the way people differ in how much they change in cognitive functions [during their lives], the minority of that is down to genetics.

“We’ve estimated that at about a quarter, which leaves a tantalising three quarters of the change across the life course potentially down to environmental things that might be remediable.”

And testing has indicated one such factor.

“It does seem to be the case that people who are physically fitter and healthier have got better thinking skills in older age than you might expect from their scores in youth,” said Professor Deary.