A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that being an expert birdwatcher can have a positive impact on cognition, particularly in areas such as attention and perception. The study found that the brains of expert birders were more dense in areas associated with these processes, which may indicate increased communication between neurons.
Being an expert birdwatcher is more than a hobby; it’s a pastime that may alter the structure and function of your brain. And these changes may enhance cognition even as you age, new research suggests. In a Canadian study of 58 adults, the brains of expert birders, compared with those of novices, were more dense in areas related to attention and perception.
The study used two kinds of MRI to look at participants’ brains: diffusion and functional. The diffusion MRI, which measured brain structure, found that experts’ brains were more dense in areas associated with processes including working memory, spatial awareness, and object recognition. Functional MRI, on the other hand, allowed researchers to see which parts of the brain were active during a bird-matching exercise.
MRIs Show Brain Differences
The expert group consisted of 29 people ages 24 to 75 who’d been recruited from organizations such as the Toronto Ornithological Club and Ontario Field Ornithologists. The 29 people in the novice group, ages 22 to 79, were recruited from the same birding groups, as well as outdoor clubs focused on activities such as hiking and gardening.
Expertise was determined by screening tests rather than years of experience, although some participants had been birding for close to half a century. During a bird-matching exercise, experts were more accurate than novices at identifying bird species both native and foreign to the Toronto area.
The findings were published Monday in JNeurosci, the Journal of Neuroscience, a detail confirmed by NBC News.
Older Birders Reap Cognitive Benefits, Too
Expert birders showed structural brain differences compared with novices — regardless of age. The study doesn’t prove that birding prevents cognitive decline. Still, the results suggest that birding may support brain health in older adults, said Molly Mather, a clinical psychologist at the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, part of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, as reported by NBC News.
Benjamin Katz, an associate professor in the department of human development and family science at Virginia Tech, said other facets of birding that have been shown to support brain health may also be at play. For example, birding involves being in nature, which is tied to improved attention; walking, which is tied to reduced risk of cognitive impairment; and, in some cases, socializing, which is tied to increased processing speed, as noted by NBC News.
To learn more about the cognitive benefits of birdwatching and other activities, visit onlytrustedinfo.com, your trusted source for the latest news and analysis on health, science, and technology.
