A recent scientific study has shown that men’s brains shrink faster with age and lose volume in more regions compared to women. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shed new light on gender differences in brain aging.
According to researchers, this means that men experience the aging process more rapidly, and their life expectancy tends to be shorter. This is likely related to overall health, lifestyle, and genetic factors.
Interestingly, Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed almost twice as often in women as in men. Previously, this was attributed to natural aging, but the new study challenges that assumption, suggesting the disease is more closely linked to brain structure, hormonal, and biological differences.
The study analyzed more than 12,500 MRI scans from 4,726 participants, each examined at least twice over an average interval of three years.
Results showed that men lost brain volume more quickly, particularly in the postcentral cortex — the region responsible for processing movement, pain, and temperature. On average, this area shrank by 2% per year in men and 1.2% in women.
Researchers believe these results may be linked to brain plasticity — the ability to adapt and learn — as well as stress and chromosomal differences. In women, hormonal mechanisms may slow this loss, making their brains more resilient to aging.
In conclusion, brain changes with age are natural, but the rate of decline largely depends on lifestyle and mental activity.
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