THE Swindon-based Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is funding research to understand the effects of ageing on the brain.

A £5m grant has been awarded to scientists from the University of Cambridge and the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, who aim to understand how brain ageing in healthy people affects abilities like language and memory.

The ageing process does not have a uniform effect across the brain. Older people often struggle to recall the right word in a conversation, but can continue to expand their vocabulary throughout old age.

Understanding what structures in the brain account for this variation will be a crucial first step allowing more people to retain a range of mental abilities throughout their lives.

Professor Lorraine Tyler of the University of Cambridge, who is leading the research, said: “Our mental abilities don’t suddenly start to decline as we enter retirement. In fact, many are retained right into our 80s and we are often too quick to attribute normal lapses like forgetfulness to the effects of age.

“Understanding the complexities of how ageing affects the brain will be crucial for older people to be able to live fulfilled lives and contribute fully to society. ”

The study is recruiting 3,000 people aged 18 to 88 years to create a large library of information on how healthy brain ageing affects mental abilities to different degrees.

Professor Douglas Kell, chief executive at the North Star-based BBSRC, said: “Improving the quality of life of ageing populations is a global research challenge, so it is vital that large studies like this provide data and resources for future scientists all over the world.”