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PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Men who find themselves becoming grumpier and more forgetful as they grow older may now have an explanation.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that men's brains shrink as they grow older, with tests documenting slowing of response time and a loss of sense of humor.
The shrinkage apparently occurs only in men and can begin in the twenties, University of Pennsylvania neuropsychologist Ruben Gur, who led the research team, said Thursday.
"Men spend most of their time activating a certain part of their brain," Gur told radio station KYW here. "It is likely that this is the part of the brain that will suffer most of the consequences."
Gur held out hope, however, that men can fight the degradation through exercise, that is, using their brains in ways different from their normal routines.
Lawyers or accountants could turn to gardening or birdwatching, while police officers could learn another language or take up a musical instrument.
Journalists might try team sports or artwork.
The researchers found that women did not experience brain shrinkage. In one test, the team observed how men and women between 18 and 45 pushed a button after numbers flashed before them, and found that males, particularly older men, had greater difficulty in responding.
The results of slower response times, when matched with electronic images of the participants, led researchers to conclude that the male aging process leads to substantial reduction in the frontal lobes, which regulate attention. The study also concluded that men lose their sense of humor as they grow older, Gur said.
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