A recent study conducted by UC Davis Health Medical Center and published in JAMA Neurology has shown that people’s brains are getting larger over time, suggesting an improvement in Alzheimer’s conditions. The study, reported in the media on April 26, found that individuals born in the 1970s and later have 6.6% more mass and 15% more surface area compared to those born in the 1930s.
Professor Charles DeCarli, a neurology expert at UC Davis Health and study author, highlights the role of genetics in determining brain size while acknowledging the influence of external factors such as health, society, culture, and education. The research analyzed MRI images of over 3,200 individuals born between 1925 and 1968. The findings show a gradual and steady increase in brain size over time.
From the 1930s to the 1970s, the average brain size increased from 1,200 mm to
