Research indicates that keeping your brain active in old age can be achieved by learning languages and creating art—and birdwatching might offer similar benefits.
A recent study by Canadian scientists reveals that experienced birdwatchers possess denser and more intricate brain tissue structures in areas associated with attention and perception compared to beginners.
This study supports the concept of neuroplasticity, suggesting that engaging our brains in certain ways can lead to rewiring that may help prevent cognitive decline in later years.
“Regions involved in attention and perception showed structural modification in experts, and these same regions were selectively engaged to support identification in challenging circumstances,” write the researchers in their published paper.
“Results also suggest that knowledge acquisition might mitigate age-related decline in circumscribed brain regions supporting expert performance.”
The study simultaneously investigated brain structure and processing. MRI scans were conducted on 29 experienced birdwatchers and 29 novices, matched by age and education. During the scans, participants identified bird images, and the data was analyzed for “mean diffusivity,” a measure of brain complexity.
“The measure we used is the diffusion of water molecules in the brain,” says neuroscientist Erik Wing from the Rotman Research Institute in Canada. “One way of putting it is that there’s less constraint on where water goes in the brains of experts.”
Indeed, the experienced birdwatchers exhibited lower mean diffusivity in brain areas related to bird spotting, suggesting a kind of system upgrade. Additionally, when shown unfamiliar birds, these brain regions were activated.
Subtle signs suggested that birdwatching might slow cognitive decline with age: while brain tissue naturally becomes less complex (higher mean diffusivity) as we age, this process seemed slower among expert birders.
“Acquiring skills from birding could be beneficial for cognition as people age,” says Wing.
Birdwatchers present an ideal group for such studies due to their ability to sift through visual information and maintain high attention levels for prolonged periods, essential for spotting rare birds.
Despite the positive brain differences, it’s crucial not to overgeneralize the findings. Participants didn’t undergo memory or cognition tests, so the study only confirms that their brains are specialized for birdwatching.
Establishing cause and effect in a single study like this is challenging. It’s possible that inherent brain characteristics led them to birdwatching.
However, it’s more probable that years of this hobby have honed their brains, and researchers propose future studies to explore if these brain optimizations can assist with other cognitive tasks beyond birdwatching.
Related research shows that learning to play an instrument or speak a new language can alter brain structures and potentially delay natural cognitive decline. The current study suggests birdwatching might offer similar benefits.
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“Given findings that older experts can harness specialized knowledge to support cognition involving their domain of experience, future work will be needed to uncover how age-related structural trajectories affect specialized performance later in life,” write the researchers.
The research has been published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
