Brain Age Test: How MRI Estimates Your Brain Age
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Dr. Rohit, MBBS MD (Sports Medicine)
An MRI brain age test estimates how old your brain looks. Learn how it works, what the brain age gap means, and what it cannot tell you.
An MRI brain age test estimates how old your brain looks. Learn how it works, what the brain age gap means, and what it cannot tell you.
Your brain changes as you grow older. But does your brain look the same age as you? An MRI brain age test uses a brain scan and a computer model to estimate how old your brain looks. It compares patterns in your scan with patterns seen in thousands of people of different ages.
Your brain changes as you grow older. But does your brain look the same age as you? An MRI brain age test uses a brain scan and a computer model to estimate how old your brain looks. It compares patterns in your scan with patterns seen in thousands of people of different ages.
Why does brain age matter?
Why does brain age matter?
Why does brain age matter?
Your real age tells you how many years you have lived. It does not tell the full story about your brain. Two people of the same age can have very different brain scans because of health, genes and lifestyle.
The research behind brain age is real. In one study of 669 people in Scotland, all scanned at age 73, those whose brains looked older than their real age were more likely to die before 80. They also had weaker grip, lower lung capacity and slower walking speed (Imperial College London).
But brain age is still a developing tool. A result cannot tell you everything about your brain health, and it cannot tell you for sure whether you have a brain disease.
Your real age tells you how many years you have lived. It does not tell the full story about your brain. Two people of the same age can have very different brain scans because of health, genes and lifestyle.
The research behind brain age is real. In one study of 669 people in Scotland, all scanned at age 73, those whose brains looked older than their real age were more likely to die before 80. They also had weaker grip, lower lung capacity and slower walking speed (Imperial College London).
But brain age is still a developing tool. A result cannot tell you everything about your brain health, and it cannot tell you for sure whether you have a brain disease.
What is a brain age test?
What is a brain age test?
What is a brain age test?
A brain age test uses images from an MRI scan. A computer model studies the images and estimates a brain age.
For example, a person may be 40 years old and the computer may estimate their brain age as 42. That means the scan has features the model links with a brain age of about 42.
The result depends on the scan, the model and the method used. Even good models are off by about 4 to 5 years on average. So a 2-year difference like the one above is within the model's normal error and tells you very little. It is not a direct measure of your brain's health.
A brain age test uses images from an MRI scan. A computer model studies the images and estimates a brain age.
For example, a person may be 40 years old and the computer may estimate their brain age as 42. That means the scan has features the model links with a brain age of about 42.
The result depends on the scan, the model and the method used. Even good models are off by about 4 to 5 years on average. So a 2-year difference like the one above is within the model's normal error and tells you very little. It is not a direct measure of your brain's health.
How does MRI brain age prediction work?
How does MRI brain age prediction work?
How does MRI brain age prediction work?
The test usually follows these steps:
Brain scan: you lie still while the MRI machine takes pictures of your brain.
Image check: the pictures are checked to make sure they are clear. Movement can blur them and change the result.
Computer analysis: a computer model, trained on thousands of scans from people of known ages, studies the pictures.
Age estimate: the model estimates the age of the brain from the patterns it finds, such as brain volume and the size of the fluid spaces.
Result review: a medical professional explains what the result means for you.
The test usually follows these steps:
Brain scan: you lie still while the MRI machine takes pictures of your brain.
Image check: the pictures are checked to make sure they are clear. Movement can blur them and change the result.
Computer analysis: a computer model, trained on thousands of scans from people of known ages, studies the pictures.
Age estimate: the model estimates the age of the brain from the patterns it finds, such as brain volume and the size of the fluid spaces.
Result review: a medical professional explains what the result means for you.
Not all MRI centres offer this test, and a standard brain MRI does not include a brain age estimate.
Not all MRI centres offer this test, and a standard brain MRI does not include a brain age estimate.
What is the brain age gap?
What is the brain age gap?
What is the brain age gap?
The brain age gap is the difference between your estimated brain age and your real age.
The brain age gap is the difference between your estimated brain age and your real age.
Both of these gaps are close to the 4 to 5 years by which models are typically off. So neither result, on its own, says much about this one person. A gap matters more when it is well beyond the model's error, or when it grows on repeat scans taken on the same machine with the same model.
A higher number does not always mean a health problem, and a lower number does not always mean the brain is healthy.
Both of these gaps are close to the 4 to 5 years by which models are typically off. So neither result, on its own, says much about this one person. A gap matters more when it is well beyond the model's error, or when it grows on repeat scans taken on the same machine with the same model.
A higher number does not always mean a health problem, and a lower number does not always mean the brain is healthy.
What can a brain MRI scan show?
What can a brain MRI scan show?
What can a brain MRI scan show?
A brain MRI scan takes detailed pictures of the brain. Doctors use these pictures to look for changes and to understand certain health problems.
A brain MRI may help doctors check:
The size and shape of the brain.
Changes in brain tissue, such as damage from small blood vessel disease.
Signs of a stroke or bleeding.
Some types of tumours.
Shrinkage linked to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
A standard brain MRI and a brain age test do different jobs. A standard MRI is read by a radiologist looking for health problems. A brain age test uses a computer to estimate how old the brain looks.
A brain MRI scan takes detailed pictures of the brain. Doctors use these pictures to look for changes and to understand certain health problems.
A brain MRI may help doctors check:
The size and shape of the brain.
Changes in brain tissue, such as damage from small blood vessel disease.
Signs of a stroke or bleeding.
Some types of tumours.
Shrinkage linked to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
A standard brain MRI and a brain age test do different jobs. A standard MRI is read by a radiologist looking for health problems. A brain age test uses a computer to estimate how old the brain looks.
What is the difference between real age and brain age?
What is the difference between real age and brain age?
What is the difference between real age and brain age?
Your real age is the number of years you have lived. Brain age is a number a computer estimates from pictures of your brain.
If a 40-year-old gets an estimated brain age of 43, that does not mean their brain is unhealthy; a 3-year gap is within normal model error. The result depends on the computer program and the pictures used, so do not use this number alone to decide whether your brain is healthy.
Your real age is the number of years you have lived. Brain age is a number a computer estimates from pictures of your brain.
If a 40-year-old gets an estimated brain age of 43, that does not mean their brain is unhealthy; a 3-year gap is within normal model error. The result depends on the computer program and the pictures used, so do not use this number alone to decide whether your brain is healthy.
How to get ready for a brain MRI scan
How to get ready for a brain MRI scan
If your doctor asks you to have an MRI scan, follow the scan centre's instructions. Here are the main things to remember:
Tell the staff about your health. Mention any metal implants or medical devices, such as a pacemaker, cochlear implant, brain aneurysm clip or insulin pump. If you have ever worked with metal, for example welding or grinding, say so: metal fragments in the eye can be dangerous in an MRI.
Follow the safety rules. The staff will check whether the scan is safe for you. Some implants are safe in MRI under set conditions; the staff need the exact device details.
Remove metal items. Take off jewellery, watches, hairpins and anything else metal.
Mention if small spaces bother you. The scanner is a narrow tube and it is loud. Staff can help if you feel anxious.
Keep still. Movement blurs the pictures, and blurred pictures can change a brain age estimate.
Ask about your report. Find out before the scan whether the test includes a brain age estimate.
MRI scans are not suitable for everyone, so always tell the staff about implants or devices before the scan.
If your doctor asks you to have an MRI scan, follow the scan centre's instructions. Here are the main things to remember:
Tell the staff about your health. Mention any metal implants or medical devices, such as a pacemaker, cochlear implant, brain aneurysm clip or insulin pump. If you have ever worked with metal, for example welding or grinding, say so: metal fragments in the eye can be dangerous in an MRI.
Follow the safety rules. The staff will check whether the scan is safe for you. Some implants are safe in MRI under set conditions; the staff need the exact device details.
Remove metal items. Take off jewellery, watches, hairpins and anything else metal.
Mention if small spaces bother you. The scanner is a narrow tube and it is loud. Staff can help if you feel anxious.
Keep still. Movement blurs the pictures, and blurred pictures can change a brain age estimate.
Ask about your report. Find out before the scan whether the test includes a brain age estimate.
MRI scans are not suitable for everyone, so always tell the staff about implants or devices before the scan.
How to understand a brain MRI report
How to understand a brain MRI report
How to understand a brain MRI report
A radiologist is a doctor trained to read medical scans and write the report. A brain MRI report describes what the radiologist sees: the normal parts of the brain and any changes found. Sometimes it simply says that no major problem was found.
A standard MRI report does not include a brain age estimate. If your report has one, ask your doctor to explain it, including how large the model's usual error is.
Do not worry about medical words you do not understand. Your doctor can explain the report and what you need to do next.
A radiologist is a doctor trained to read medical scans and write the report. A brain MRI report describes what the radiologist sees: the normal parts of the brain and any changes found. Sometimes it simply says that no major problem was found.
A standard MRI report does not include a brain age estimate. If your report has one, ask your doctor to explain it, including how large the model's usual error is.
Do not worry about medical words you do not understand. Your doctor can explain the report and what you need to do next.
Can you improve your brain age?
Can you improve your brain age?
Can you improve your brain age?
There is no proven way to lower your brain age number. No large trial has yet shown that changing a habit reliably moves it.
What is well proven is that certain habits protect the brain. The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia estimated that addressing 14 risk factors could prevent or delay about 45% of dementia cases worldwide (UPI summary).
Most of the habits below come from that list:
Keep blood pressure in check with your doctor. In the SPRINT MIND trial of 9,361 adults, lowering systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment by 19% compared with a target below 140.
Stay physically active: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, the WHO recommendation, plus strength work twice a week.
Manage blood sugar and cholesterol. Diabetes and high LDL cholesterol are both on the Commission's list.
Do not smoke, and limit alcohol.
Get your hearing and eyesight checked. Untreated hearing loss and vision loss are both risk factors, and both are easy to fix.
Stay connected with family and friends; social isolation is a risk factor too.
Sleep well, and see a doctor if you snore heavily or stop breathing at night.
See a doctor if you have trouble remembering things.
These habits are good for your body and brain whatever your brain age number says.
There is no proven way to lower your brain age number. No large trial has yet shown that changing a habit reliably moves it.
What is well proven is that certain habits protect the brain. The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia estimated that addressing 14 risk factors could prevent or delay about 45% of dementia cases worldwide (UPI summary).
Most of the habits below come from that list:
Keep blood pressure in check with your doctor. In the SPRINT MIND trial of 9,361 adults, lowering systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment by 19% compared with a target below 140.
Stay physically active: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, the WHO recommendation, plus strength work twice a week.
Manage blood sugar and cholesterol. Diabetes and high LDL cholesterol are both on the Commission's list.
Do not smoke, and limit alcohol.
Get your hearing and eyesight checked. Untreated hearing loss and vision loss are both risk factors, and both are easy to fix.
Stay connected with family and friends; social isolation is a risk factor too.
Sleep well, and see a doctor if you snore heavily or stop breathing at night.
See a doctor if you have trouble remembering things.
These habits are good for your body and brain whatever your brain age number says.
What are the problems with brain age prediction?
What are the problems with brain age prediction?
What are the problems with brain age prediction?
Brain age prediction helps researchers learn about the brain, but it has real limits.
Different models give different results. The same scan can produce a different brain age in another program.
Scan quality and the scanner matter. Movement, image quality and even the make of MRI machine can change the estimate.
Models are off by several years on average, about 4 to 5 years in the studies cited here, so small gaps are noise.
Models tend to pull results towards the middle. Many overestimate brain age in young people and underestimate it in older people, unless the results are corrected for this.
It cannot diagnose a disease. A brain age number cannot tell you for sure if someone has Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
One scan cannot show how fast the brain is ageing. That needs repeat scans over time on the same machine, analysed with the same model.
Brain age prediction helps researchers learn about the brain, but it has real limits.
Different models give different results. The same scan can produce a different brain age in another program.
Scan quality and the scanner matter. Movement, image quality and even the make of MRI machine can change the estimate.
Models are off by several years on average, about 4 to 5 years in the studies cited here, so small gaps are noise.
Models tend to pull results towards the middle. Many overestimate brain age in young people and underestimate it in older people, unless the results are corrected for this.
It cannot diagnose a disease. A brain age number cannot tell you for sure if someone has Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
One scan cannot show how fast the brain is ageing. That needs repeat scans over time on the same machine, analysed with the same model.
About Vital Insights
About Vital Insights
About Vital Insights
Vital Insights is a performance and longevity lab in Chennai. We run medical tests and explain the results in plain language. If you want a brain MRI or a brain age estimate, contact our team. A doctor can explain your results and what to do next.
Vital Insights is a performance and longevity lab in Chennai. We run medical tests and explain the results in plain language. If you want a brain MRI or a brain age estimate, contact our team. A doctor can explain your results and what to do next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an MRI brain age test?
Is brain age prediction always right?
What is the brain age gap?
Is a brain age test the same as a normal MRI?
Can an MRI show brain ageing?
Does a brain MRI scan hurt?
Can a brain age test find Alzheimer's disease?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an MRI brain age test?
Is brain age prediction always right?
What is the brain age gap?
Is a brain age test the same as a normal MRI?
Can an MRI show brain ageing?
Does a brain MRI scan hurt?
Can a brain age test find Alzheimer's disease?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
An MRI brain age test uses pictures of the brain and a computer model to estimate how old the brain looks. In research, brains that look older than their age have been linked to poorer health later.
For one person, though, the number has limits. Models are off by several years on average, so a small brain age gap means little, and no brain age number can prove that your brain is healthy or that you have a disease.
If you have questions about your MRI brain test or report, talk to a doctor. They can explain your results and help you understand what to do next.
An MRI brain age test uses pictures of the brain and a computer model to estimate how old the brain looks. In research, brains that look older than their age have been linked to poorer health later.
For one person, though, the number has limits. Models are off by several years on average, so a small brain age gap means little, and no brain age number can prove that your brain is healthy or that you have a disease.
If you have questions about your MRI brain test or report, talk to a doctor. They can explain your results and help you understand what to do next.
Words worth knowing
Words worth knowing
Words worth knowing
Vital Insights, Chennai. This article is for education and does not replace individual medical advice.
Vital Insights, Chennai. This article is for education and does not replace individual medical advice.
References
References
References
Cole JH, Ritchie SJ, Bastin ME, et al. Brain age predicts mortality. Mol Psychiatry. 2018;23(5):1385–1392. Summarised by Imperial College London, 25 April 2017.
Wood DA, Kafiabadi S, Al Busaidi A, et al. Accurate brain-age models for routine clinical MRI examinations. NeuroImage. 2022;249:118871.
Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. Lancet. 2024;404(10452):572–628. Summarised by UPI.
SPRINT MIND Investigators. Effect of intensive vs standard blood pressure control on probable dementia: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2019;321(6):553–561. Summarised by ScienceDaily.
World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. 2020.
Cole JH, Ritchie SJ, Bastin ME, et al. Brain age predicts mortality. Mol Psychiatry. 2018;23(5):1385–1392. Summarised by Imperial College London, 25 April 2017.
Wood DA, Kafiabadi S, Al Busaidi A, et al. Accurate brain-age models for routine clinical MRI examinations. NeuroImage. 2022;249:118871.
Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. Lancet. 2024;404(10452):572–628. Summarised by UPI.
SPRINT MIND Investigators. Effect of intensive vs standard blood pressure control on probable dementia: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2019;321(6):553–561. Summarised by ScienceDaily.
World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. 2020.
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