Science / Medicine : Age Takes Toll on Male Brain

Men are more susceptible than women to age-related declines in mental abilities, according to a study published in the Proceedings by psychiatrist Ruben C. Gur and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The Penn team studied the brains of 69 healthy adults, ranging in age from 18 to 80, using magnetic resonance imaging, a technique that can produce highly accurate pictures of internal organs. They confirmed previous studies that showed that the brain tends to atrophy with age.

They also found, however, that male brains atrophied to a greater extent than female brains. Furthermore, the atrophy in men was greatest in the left lobe of the brain, which controls speech and most intellectual functions. Both sides of the brains of women, in contrast, tended to atrophy at the same rate.

The researchers hope the studies of brain sizes, the most extensive yet undertaken, will help in understanding the behavioral changes associated with aging.