Researchers tested participants for their cognitiveabilities by administering standardized tests of memory, information processing, and thought organization.
Dr. Gow said previous research with the Lothian group suggested people who participated in more social and intellectual activities at age 70 and had better cognitiveabilities were the ones who scored higher on mental ability tests at age 11.
And although imaging studies show that middle-aged people may use different brain regions to do the same old tasks, cognitivetests show that apart from brute speed, the brain's abilities are not diminished in middle age.