800px computed tomography of human brain large
Aging, Brain and Nervous System, Radiology

Scientists track how the brain changes over a lifetime

The volume of grey matter (brain cells) increases rapidly from mid-gestation onwards, peaking just before we are six years old. It then begins to decrease slowly. The volume of white matter (brain connections) also increased rapidly from mid-gestation through early childhood and peaks just before we are 29 years old. The decline in white matter volume begins to accelerate after 50 years.

Illustration of a nurse helping an older woman with a cane.
Aging, Palliative Care, Seniors

What is palliative care? How is it different from hospice?

Palliative care was not associated with shortened survival, pushing back against a popular assumption that pursuing palliative care means “giving up” on fighting disease. In fact, one influential study found that patients with advanced lung cancer who receive specialty palliative care in addition to standard oncology care lived almost three months longer than patients who received standard oncology care only.