Researchers at Binghamton University in the United States have found that the first signs of hippocampal dysfunction—the brain region responsible for memory—can appear as early as age 30. This discovery challenges the previous assumption that memory problems only emerge in old age. The findings were published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, as reported by infohub.kz.
In the study, scientists conducted functional MRI scans on about 60 volunteers aged 18 to 74. Participants were shown photographs of faces paired with various objects and background images. During subsequent memory tests, people aged 30 to 50 often made mistakes, associating a familiar face with an incorrect object. They remembered seeing the images but could not accurately recall the original pairing.
The authors attribute this effect to disruptions in the hippocampus, which is responsible for encoding, consolidating, and retrieving memories. Previously, it was thought that such errors in older adults were caused by reduced hippocampal activity. However, the scans revealed the opposite: when older participants made mistakes, the hippocampus showed high activity, reconstructing not precise details but only the general context.
Ian McDonough, an associate professor of psychology, noted that middle age is a critical transitional period for memory function. The researchers emphasize the need for further study of this age group to find ways to prevent cognitive decline.