Ageing signs linked to brain damage

I think not having this is considered to be your brain reserve.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/ageing-signs-linked-brain-damage-200956476.html

Common signs of ageing such as a stooped posture, shaking hands and walking slowly may be due to hidden blood vessel blockages in the brain, research has shown.

A post-mortem study revealed microscopic lesions - sites of damage - in 30% of the brains of people with no history of stroke or neurological disease.

The lesions, too small to be detected by brain scans, were present in large numbers in those who had the most trouble walking. Two thirds of the brains studied had at least one blood vessel abnormality.

The findings suggest a possible link between the blocked vessels and familiar signs of ageing, say the scientists.

Lead researcher Dr Aron Buchman, from Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago, US, said: "This is very surprising.

"The public health implications are significant because we are not identifying the 30% who have undiagnosed small vessel disease that is not picked up by current technology. We need additional tools in order to identify this population."

The research dates back to 1994 when scientists began conducting annual medicals on 1,100 older nuns and priests. Participants also donated their brains for examination after death.

The new study, published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, shows results for the first 418 brain post-mortems. Of the donor population, 61% were women who died at an average age of 88.

During the annual health checks, researchers rated participants' balance, posture, walking speed, ability to get in and out of chairs, and sense of dizziness.

"Often the mild motor symptoms are considered an expected part of ageing," said Dr Buchman. "We should not accept this as normal ageing. We should try to fix it and understand it. If there is an underlying cause, we can intervene and perhaps lessen the impact."