Not All Average A team of neuroscientists in Scotland (Farrell et al., 2009) published these images of the brains of healthy 65- to 70-year-olds. The images show normal brain loss (the white areas) from the lowest (5th percentile) to the highest (95th percentile). Some atrophy is inevitable (even younger brains atrophy), but few elders are merely average.

FROM FARRELL C, ET AL. “DEVELOPMENT AND INITIAL TESTING OF NORMAL REFERENCE: MR IMAGES FOR THE BRAIN AT AGES 65–70 AND 75–80 YEARS.” EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY 2009;19:177–183. COPYRIGHT J.M. WARDLAW.