<p>University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have identified a clear link between managerial experience and larger size of one's hippocampus, the brain area responsible for learning and memory -- at the age of 80.<br /><br /> These findings bolster our understanding that mental activity promotes brain health, possibly warding off neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, according to an UNSW statement. <br /><br /> “This could be linked to the unique mental demands of managing people, which requires continuous problem solving, short term memory and a lot of emotional intelligence..., says Michael Valenzuela, leader of regenerative neuroscience in UNSW's School of Psychiatry.<br /><br /> The research comprises the doctoral work of Chao Suo, supervised by Valenzuela, along with Perminder Sachdev's Memory and Ageing Study based in Sydney.<br /><br /> Using MRI imagery in a group of 75- to 92-year-olds, researchers found larger hippocampal volumes in those with managerial experience compared to those without, even after accounting for any of a number of possible alternative explanations. <br /><br /> The study was presented at the Brain Sciences UNSW symposium Brain Plasticity - The Adaptable Brain.</p>
<p>University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have identified a clear link between managerial experience and larger size of one's hippocampus, the brain area responsible for learning and memory -- at the age of 80.<br /><br /> These findings bolster our understanding that mental activity promotes brain health, possibly warding off neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, according to an UNSW statement. <br /><br /> “This could be linked to the unique mental demands of managing people, which requires continuous problem solving, short term memory and a lot of emotional intelligence..., says Michael Valenzuela, leader of regenerative neuroscience in UNSW's School of Psychiatry.<br /><br /> The research comprises the doctoral work of Chao Suo, supervised by Valenzuela, along with Perminder Sachdev's Memory and Ageing Study based in Sydney.<br /><br /> Using MRI imagery in a group of 75- to 92-year-olds, researchers found larger hippocampal volumes in those with managerial experience compared to those without, even after accounting for any of a number of possible alternative explanations. <br /><br /> The study was presented at the Brain Sciences UNSW symposium Brain Plasticity - The Adaptable Brain.</p>