“Older adults tend to show less flexible thinking, such as forming new concepts and abstract thinking, lower response inhibition, as well as lower verbal and numeric reasoning,” the reviewers noted. “These executive function changes can be seen first in adults in their fifth decade of life, consistent with the findings of the systematic review that functional network connectivity changes reach their inflection point in the fourth and fifth decade.”
Source: The brain undergoes a great “rewiring” after age 40 – Big Think
I earned my MBA (GPA 3.89) at age 41, and my M.S. in software engineering (GPA 4.0) at age 54. Now well past that, I am learning Norwegian and reviewing Spanish.
I suspect learning another language would be easier when young, but given the circumstances, I am pleased with my progress. I’m not sure there is a one-size fits all model for the aging brain. Also, what effect did my multiple traumatic brain injuries have on thinking and learning new skills later in life?
