A large-scale study by scientists from the University of California at Davis (USA) showed an increase in brain volume and surface area in people born in the 1970s compared to those born in the 1930s. Mail.ru reports this.
The work examined the MRI results of 226 people (53% women and 47% men) born in 19301970 at the age of 4570 years.
The younger the participant, the more noticeable the increase was.
Intracranial volume: 1234 cm³ in people born in the 1930s versus 1321 cm³ in people born in the 1970s.
Cortical surface area: 2056 cm² in people born in the 1930s versus 2104 cm² in people born in the 1970s (15% increase).
It is hypothesized that increasing brain size may lead to an increase in brain reserve—the number of healthy areas of the brain that can compensate for the functions of damaged areas.
In the long term, it may reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Brain enlargement is not only due to genetics. According to scientists, social and cultural factors, as well as education, play an important role in this process.