Author explains brains of midlifers

“The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind,” by Barbara Strauch, Viking Press, New York, NY, 198 pages, $26.95.

Think of the last time you had a similar conversation: “Dear, did you buy the milk yesterday? Where did you put it? Well, it’s not in the refrigerator now. Very funny.”

You say to your teen — who has reminded you the keys were in the freezer last time. “Where is the milk now?”

Your spouse then points to the carton on the kitchen table where you had placed it after taking it from the refrigerator and pouring milk on your cereal only moments earlier.

Friends you’ve known for years have gathered over lunch to share summer vacation plans and suggestions of occupying the children but first come introductions.

You cannot remember the name of your dearest high school and college friend.

One of the activity suggestions made had been your family’s favorite, to name all the states and their capitals.

On the way home, just on a lark, you see how fast you can do it. Forget about speed; you can’t even remember the capitals!

In “The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain” its author, neuroscientist Barbara Strauch, explains the mystifying and oft-times maddening events going on in the brain as people reach midlife.

There’s some wonderfully encouraging new research that debunks previously thought concepts.

On the contrary to being fixed, brain cells are constantly being created. New gray and white matter continues developing, new connections between cells are made and barrier cells form to guard against the invasion of “destructive” cell connections.

Brain cells even learn to cross over and enable interaction between the two halves of the brain, which in turn create new pathways to access information.

Yes, there’s a slowing of speed in transmission of information, but with practice, even that change can be modified.

Retention of information some people have into their later life can be amazing, with IQ scores increasing.

Dr. Strauch explains the processes behind forgetting a name or where the milk is. More importantly, she shares approaches to enable us to lessen those times.

As in her book, “The Primal Teen,” which explains not only the mysterious and sometimes logic-defying behavior of those between 11-25 years, the explanations in this book are written in terms that we non-scientifically trained adults can understand.

For example, people’s names are retained in the back part of our brain while the information about people is in the files located in the frontal lobes.

As we age, it takes a bit longer to sort through all the files, with their accumulated information, pull the right stuff and send it back in a coherent form so that when our mouth opens, the right information comes out.

She also briefly explains what happens when that process goes awry due to some sort of injury assault to the brain from disease or other conditions.

This book is a must-read for young adults as well as middle-aged baby boomers, and it is a must for all libraries.

It points us to ways to help maximize aging by pointing out the ever growing evidence of connections that the foods we eat, not smoking, exercise, as well as reading and keeping our minds active all have effects on how we will adapt to life in our later years.

For me the most compelling news confirmed in the pages of the book is that as we age, our perspective changes, enabling us to better see and react to the gestalt, the whole picture.

Drawing on all previous experiences, we are better able to select the best choice among seemingly few options that will enable a successful resolution.

The author and I thought of the same example, the USAir plane forced to land in the Hudson River. The crew had years of experience, the pilot taught disaster training and had glider experience.

Against all odds, the plane landed in one piece, all were safely evacuated. Before leaving the downed plane which was sinking, the pilot had the presence of mind to walk the length of it twice to ensure everyone had been evacuated before finally exiting the plane.

Next time I fly, I’m making sure the pilot has gray hair. Aging has its benefits.

Margaret Barno, a retired social worker, lives in Pflugerville.