Well, Van.... If we had all those answers, we wouldn't be doing the research!
Let's just say that there are many things we might do in life (like getting plastered) which can destroy neurons (nerve cells) and synapses (inter-connectivity of the nerve cells) in the brain. The brain has plenty of neurons, is very adaptable (plastic) and can be trained to be somewhat redundant. But the insults can begin to accumulate over time in a way that is measurable. How much? This is what researchers are beginning to study.
Trauma and too much alcohol aren't the only thing. There's also your DNA which puts you at risk for certain conditions such as senility and Alzheimer's in old age. There is the general slow-down of metabolism that comes with age. And then there are all the diet and exercise things that you do, or in some cases don't do. All of this contributes to the final product.
My dad is a great example. He never boxed and he never headed a ball, even though he was a good athlete (baseball pitcher). Today at 87 he is still technically a full-time trader of securities. But I notice what his medical treatment (hormone therapy for prostate cancer), diet issues (not enough fruits, vegetables, and fish oil) and general decline (you can tell he's slowing down in many ways) have done to him. Some days he and I can have a wonderful conversation about his investments and what mistakes he's made. But he doesn't take risks as much any more (his best asset in the past), and I sometimes have to accept the fact that I have to tell him something 4 or 5 times over a period of time for it to sink in. And I am resigned to where he is, and thankful he's beaten the life statistics for a male.
The many micro-traumas are just one of many issues. If you're Muhammad Ali and have had the likes of Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Larry Holmes beating your brains, well you're going to show it with age. But heading a soccer ball? That will be a bit more subtle.
My advice? What's done is done. Meanwhile... the brain is in some ways like a muscle. The more you train it seven ways to Sunday, the more it will adapt and modify and do what you need it to do - within limits. This is why I spend some of my free time doing Sudoku puzzles, force myself to do all karate moves on both sides, taught myself to bat left-handed at age 40 (in the 80 mph batting cage), read, write, learn a new language, play (and teach) music, etc., etc.
Along these lines... Spend some time studying how men and women get from point A to point B - without a GPS unit. We both get there, but ON AVERAGE we get there by different means. Why? Because of the way our brains are wired via hormones, we use different parts of the brain to do the same thing. So... what can we learn from that? Well one thing we can do is - again - train things seven ways to Sunday. Each different way we assimilate and process the same thing will result in different parts of the brain being trained and employed to accomplish something. And the more redundant the functional pathways, the deeper our abilities and understanding. Make sense? So later on in life when deterioration accumulates, we may still find some way to accomplish something we need to do because there will still be remaining pathways that will help us get the job done. We may think and function a bit differently to do the same thing, but the most important thing is that we can still do what we need to do.
Hope that helps.
- Bill
