If you’ve ever felt like your brain really works better at certain times of the year, you’re onto something. New research from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and the University of Toronto shows that our brains actually do function better during different seasons. So when are they in their prime? Fall, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Researchers analyzed data from 3,353 volunteers and found summer and autumn are when brain functioning was at its peak, with winter and spring function being 4.8 years below other seasons, on average. Even when scientists accounted for other reasons for cognitive decline in these months, like depression and sleep problems, the association between seasons and better brain function stayed the same.
The research also shows that Alzheimer’s-related proteins in the brain were also higher during winter and spring. Study authors say these findings will open the door to new forms of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease by shedding light on the “mechanisms underlying the seasonal improvement in cognition in the summer and early fall.”
As for the rest of us, let’s enjoy this boost we’re getting from better brain power this fall, before it’s gone when winter rolls around.
Source: New York Post