Parents’ brain would be protected from certain effects of aging.
- Having children would provide protection against certain effects of aging, according to a new study.
- Parents have increased connectivity in the brain areas involved in movement and sensations.
- The protective effect on the brain is strengthened with each additional child.
Even if we love them, you have to recognize it: children are not easy … So here is a news that will comfort the tired parents a little. Having children would help delay the aging of the brain.
The study at the origin of this discovery was conducted by Rutgers Health and the Yale University and then published in the journal Proceedings of the Natural Academy February 25, 2025.
Parents: increased connectivity in certain brain areas
To determine the effects of brain parenthood, researchers have taken over the brain scanners and family information from the participants in the UK Biobank biomedical database. During the analysis of brain images, the team particularly focused on the areas involved in movement, sensations and social connection.
They then found that volunteers who had children, tended to have stronger connectivity in key brain networks, in particular those involved in movement and in sensations. “These same networks generally have decreasing connectivity as people age”specify the authors in their press release.
These results were observed both in mothers and in fathers. Thus, scientists have concluded that the benefits recorded come from parental experience, and not from biological changes linked to pregnancy.
Another observation: the effect is cumulative. The more children, the more brain differences appeared strong.
Children: they are not only a source of stress
For researchers, their different results question the idea that children is above all a source of stress and tension. “”On the contrary, research suggests that parenting can provide a form of environmental enrichment that could benefit the health of the brain thanks to an increase in physical activity, social interactions and cognitive stimulation “they write
Between more frequent family encounters and more social relationships, participants who were parents, also displayed higher social connection levels. However, it is a protective factor against cognitive decline and brain aging.
However, scientists point out that additional work is necessary to understand precisely how the parental role causes these brain changes.
