brain longevity

[foofighter]

i don't know why, but i get the feeling that the brain can live longer than other organs, and we die due to those other systems failing. maybe i'm wrong tho. my question is, assuming that all other parts of our body are functioning correctly indefinitely (immortal), how long will a healthy brain last before it dies of age (not disease)?

[iNow]

Depends on one's genetics, nutrition, and environment.

 

Think of cancer. Think of Alzheimers. Think of living near a smoke stack. Think of being born to parents who are brother and sister. It depends on a combination of factors.

 

That said... yeah, the brain doesn't have to deal with so many toxins and, although metabolic, really just needs some glucose, oxygen, and electrolytes and it's pretty happy. The brain also tends to be "the last to die."

 

 

http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/brain_death_and_organ_donation.htm?print&colour&sch

Most people understand that death occurs when a person's heart and breathing stop. This is called cardiac death and its how most people die. When someone has died of cardiac death, they do not breathe or move, they do not have a heart beat and their skin colour changes since blood is no longer circulating around the body. However, no one actually dies until the brain dies. The brain dies when blood stops being pumped to it. Other organs such as the heart and kidneys can stop working completely and in some circumstances are able to be revived - but not the brain. This is why people who have had a heart attack where their heart has stopped beating can be resuscitated - the heart may have stopped beating for a few minutes but because the brain hasn't died, the person may still be able to recover.

[foofighter]

cool article - i was wondering tho assuming healthy nutrition, environment, and genetics - are there any professional estimates as to its longevity in terms of years?

 

also - interesting because in jewish orthodox law since the bible considers the heart the seat of human thought and consciousness, brain death is not considered death and people are kept on respirators forever...strange...another example of how religion stunts progress

[iNow]

cool article - i was wondering tho assuming healthy nutrition, environment, and genetics - are there any professional estimates as to its longevity in terms of years?

 

Well, it's definitely an interesting question, however, I'm not sure how one would answer it with any certainty. First, there are SO MANY factors involved that, at best, you could get an average. And... to get a meaningful average... one would need to test hundreds (if not thousands) of isolated brains to see how long they would live.

 

That's just it though... there's not a whole lot of people rushing to sign up to have their brain extracted from their skull to benefit the science of "determining how long a brain can survive."

 

Also... the brain is but one piece of a very complex central nervous system. Cut off from the rest of it's parts it's just a lump of gray convoluted matter.

 

 

I'd advise against worrying much about the religious scriptures which themselves are speculations of human minds, however, I concede it's a rather interesting question. To reiterate, I cannot impress upon you enough that the true answer is... it depends on too many factors to make a reasonable guess, and empirical data is rather lacking.

[A Fool]

I'm a physics major not a Neuroscience major but does brain activity have an effect on how long the brain lasts? like excersising, or does it wear on the brain like an engine. thing is if you were to do a test of people with similar circumstance and habits and everything to try to determine average longevity would you have to take into account their IQ and uses thereof?

[Paralith]

I'm a physics major not a Neuroscience major but does brain activity have an effect on how long the brain lasts? like excersising, or does it wear on the brain like an engine. thing is if you were to do a test of people with similar circumstance and habits and everything to try to determine average longevity would you have to take into account their IQ and uses thereof?

 

Well I don't know about physical longevity, but it's definitely true that your cognitive abilities stay sharper if you continue to actively use your brain. Studies have been done on a lot of elderly people about this, since mental clarity is obviously something most people value. So the brain functions better the more it's used, but I don't know if that wears down the physical parts. I would guess no, but I don't know for sure.

[Panda_ca]

Great question. I agree with iNow, there are just too many factors to count.

 

What about the fact that our brains shrink .25% in mass each year after age 30? The effects of this shrinking surely effect how long the brain would be viable. What about the body? What condition is the body in? age? A younger body might encourage the brain to grow where as the opposite might be true of an older body. Potentially with the right mix of hormones and a readily available source of nutrients, the brain could go on indefinitely.