You might expect that with age comes a natural progression of brain degeneration, but new research shows that this might not be the case for all regions of the brain.

A new analysis of mouse and human brains suggests that some parts of the somatosensory cortex – the part of the brain that processes sensory information – aren't just exempt from the thinning found in other parts, they actually grow stronger.

This result suggests that the brain's ability to adapt and change continues, even into older age – and that the more you use it, the stronger your brain could be.

Related: Study Finds Humans Age Faster at 2 Sharp Peaks – Here's When

"Until now, it had not been considered that the primary somatosensory cortex consists of a stack of several extremely thin layers of tissue, each with

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