If you've ever felt that your brain is not working as well as it used to, help may be at hand. At the BA Festival of Science, scientists explained seven things you can do to help you stay sharp into old age.
"The human brain of all ages is plastic, that is, it is shaped by what you do, what you learn and what you think," said Prof Ian Robertson of Trinity College Dublin. "There is strong evidence that, particularly in the over-50s, the degree to which you retain your mental faculties depends on a number of simple behavioural factors."
The first major factor is aerobic exercise. "This has profound effects on the brain, especially in the over-50s," he explained. "There is strong evidence now that both the functioning and the structure of the brain are influenced strongly by the degree to which you are aerobically fit."
The second factor is mental stimulation. A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that cognitive decline can be reduced by performing relatively simple mental training exercises, said Prof Robertson. Even crosswords and other puzzles are likely to be beneficial, he said.
New learning was the third factor identified. "The more you learn, the more you can learn," said Prof Robertson. "We know that new learning can have profound physiological effects on the brain."
Reducing levels of stress was advice number four, as high and prolonged levels of stress have been shown to have negative effects on memory, he said.
The fifth tip was to stay socially active. "Evidence shows that people who maintain a lot of rich social interactions maintain their mental sharpness for a lot longer," said Prof Robertson.
Improving dietary habits was the sixth factor that Prof Robertson identified. "Healthy eating, particularly of both darker fruit and vegetables and oily fish, has profound effects on the rate of cognitive decline later in life," he said.
Finally "think young" was the seventh piece of advice. "If you think of yourself as old at 60, which isn't really justified any more, then you will behave as though you're old and you will do fewer of these seven things that can have such positive effects."