Sure, we all age. But each of us perceives the passing years very differently. For example, are you one of those people who feels younger than their age? If you are, the “rejuvenation” you feel could be beneficial to your brain. For the first time, a South Korean study has highlighted the link between our subjective age and brain aging. Does feeling younger than we really are support cognitive health?

Why do some people feel younger or older than their real age? This is the question behind the research conducted by a team of scientists from the departments of psychology and sociology at the National Universities of Seoul and Yonsei in South Korea. The age we feel, or our “subjective age,” varies from one person to another. Previous studies have put forth the hypothesis that a younger subjective age could be beneficial to physical health and help slow cognitive decline. But little research has examined the neurological basis of these potential links.

For their research, J. Chey and her colleagues wanted to combine regional morphometry (which analyzes the brain’s “geometry”) and brain age estimation (using neuroimaging to analyze the volume of brain tissue). Their goal was to determine whether people who felt younger showed larger regional brain volumes and a younger brain age. They recruited 68 subjects between the ages of 59 and 84 (average = 71.38) and asked them the following question: “How old do you feel compared to your real age?” The participants were given three responses to choose from: “I’m younger than my real age,” “I’m the same as my real age,” and “I’m older than my real age.” The general health and cognitive abilities (semantic fluidity, and episodic and working memory tests) of each subject were evaluated. MRIs were also performed.

The research team looked to see whether it was possible to establish correlations between the estimated age and the general state of the brain. The scientists found that the brains of participants that felt younger than their real age also showed younger structural features. In addition, the authors of the study noted that the results remain robust even when accounting for other possible factors, such as subjective health or symptoms of depression. Memory test scores were also better in subjects that declared feeling younger.

According to the researchers, “Our findings suggest that feeling subjectively older than one’s age may reflect relatively faster aging brain structures, whereas those who feel subjectively younger would have better-preserved and healthier structures.” This indicated that subjective age could be considered as a valid indicator of cerebral age. However, the authors make it clear that it is not yet possible to determine with certainty whether the brain characteristics highlighted in the study are directly responsible for subjective age.

Indeed, we must consider the possibility that a person who feels younger than they are may have a more active lifestyle (particularly physically), which could have benefits on mental health.