You may be 40 years old, but could your brain already be showing signs of accelerated aging? New research involving more than 18,000 people suggests that the answer may depend on much more than genetics or your date of birth.

brain age and chronological age is known as the brain age gap.

For example, if a research model estimates that a 45-year-old person’s brain resembles the average brain of a 52-year-old, the estimated brain age gap would be seven years.

However, this does not mean the person’s brain has literally aged seven additional years.

Brain age is a statistical research measurement, not a definitive medical diagnosis.

Different models can produce different estimates, and researchers are still working to determine how best to interpret them.

Nevertheless, these measurements are helping scientists investigate why some people appear more vulnerable to age-associated neurological