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When older people learn new skills, their brain cells develop, German scientists found in a study that used computer tomography to peer deep inside the brain.
The study, in which people aged 50 to 67 were taught to juggle, disproved a previous assumption that brain growth ends during young adulthood. It was conducted by Eppendorf University Hospital in Hamburg and the University Hospital in Jena, Germany.
After three months of learning, parts of the brain grew. When the subjects stopped juggling for another three months, their brains shrank again. The study, with lead author Arne May, was reported in the Journal of Neuroscience.
"This shows how important it is for older people to keep taking on new challenges and learning new things," May said. – (Sapa)
July 2008
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