Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on November 4, 2014 A couple defies the years at the Luckenbach, Texas, dance hall.
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sciencemag.org SCIENCE
31 OCTOBER 2014 • VOL 346 ISSUE 6209
Published by AAAS
SPECIAL SECTION
Braın THE AGING
By Peter Stern, Pamela J. Hines, and John Travis
PHOTO: ROBB KENDRICK
S
hould we consider aging a natural part of life or an illness? When it comes to the brain, research has tended to focus on the negative side of aging—Alzheimer’s disease, for example. Yet all of us know individuals who continue to be mentally sharp their whole lives. And history repeatedly offers proof—Titian, Socrates, da Vinci, and so on—that great creativity and insight can come with maturity. This special issue of Science therefore looks at the mechanisms and contexts of successful brain aging. The developmental trajectory of the brain through the entire life span is affected by genetic, physical, and psychological factors. One thing we know already is that our mental lives benefit when we lead lives that are not only physically healthy but also intellectually challenging and socially engaged (Lindenberger, p. 572). As we age, our brains constantly reorganize in response to new experiences. Even after adverse physical or psychosocial events, such as a stroke or a loved one’s sudden death, there is an astonishing level of flexibility in the brain that enables an individual to compensate and adjust (Gutchess, p. 579). Indeed, the language systems of the brain, responsible for some of the richest human interactions, have an inbuilt resilience that ensures that they remain largely robust across the life span (Shafto and Tyler, p. 583). Although many researchers are closely watching how individuals age cognitively (Underwood, p. 568), aging populations have global implications for economies and societies (Harper, p. 587). These demographic transformations have to be much more widely discussed if societies are to become well prepared, both mentally and on an institutional level, for the challenges they present.
SCIENCE sciencemag.org
INSIDE NEWS
Starting young p. 568 REVIEWS
Human cognitive aging: Corriger la fortune? p. 572 Plasticity of the aging brain: New directions in cognitive neuroscience p. 579 Language in the aging brain: The network dynamics of cognitive decline and preservation p. 583 Economic and social implications of aging societies p. 587 RELATED ITEMS ▶ PERSPECTIVE P. 547 ▶ SCIENCE SIGNALING RESEARCH ARTICLE BY W. M. PRYOR ET AL. (28 OCT. 2014) ▶ sciencemag.org/special/neuro2014
31 OCTOBER 2014 • VOL 346 ISSUE 6209
Published by AAAS
567
566
sciencemag.org SCIENCE
31 OCTOBER 2014 • VOL 346 ISSUE 6209
Published by AAAS
SPECIAL SECTION
Braın THE AGING
By Peter Stern, Pamela J. Hines, and John Travis
PHOTO: ROBB KENDRICK
S
hould we consider aging a natural part of life or an illness? When it comes to the brain, research has tended to focus on the negative side of aging—Alzheimer’s disease, for example. Yet all of us know individuals who continue to be mentally sharp their whole lives. And history repeatedly offers proof—Titian, Socrates, da Vinci, and so on—that great creativity and insight can come with maturity. This special issue of Science therefore looks at the mechanisms and contexts of successful brain aging. The developmental trajectory of the brain through the entire life span is affected by genetic, physical, and psychological factors. One thing we know already is that our mental lives benefit when we lead lives that are not only physically healthy but also intellectually challenging and socially engaged (Lindenberger, p. 572). As we age, our brains constantly reorganize in response to new experiences. Even after adverse physical or psychosocial events, such as a stroke or a loved one’s sudden death, there is an astonishing level of flexibility in the brain that enables an individual to compensate and adjust (Gutchess, p. 579). Indeed, the language systems of the brain, responsible for some of the richest human interactions, have an inbuilt resilience that ensures that they remain largely robust across the life span (Shafto and Tyler, p. 583). Although many researchers are closely watching how individuals age cognitively (Underwood, p. 568), aging populations have global implications for economies and societies (Harper, p. 587). These demographic transformations have to be much more widely discussed if societies are to become well prepared, both mentally and on an institutional level, for the challenges they present.
SCIENCE sciencemag.org
INSIDE NEWS
Starting young p. 568 REVIEWS
Human cognitive aging: Corriger la fortune? p. 572 Plasticity of the aging brain: New directions in cognitive neuroscience p. 579 Language in the aging brain: The network dynamics of cognitive decline and preservation p. 583 Economic and social implications of aging societies p. 587 RELATED ITEMS ▶ PERSPECTIVE P. 547 ▶ SCIENCE SIGNALING RESEARCH ARTICLE BY W. M. PRYOR ET AL. (28 OCT. 2014) ▶ sciencemag.org/special/neuro2014
31 OCTOBER 2014 • VOL 346 ISSUE 6209
Published by AAAS
567
