Mouse Study Sheds Light on Human Brain Aging

Researchers find similarities in how mouse and human brains change over time

Mar. 24, 2026 at 6:08am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute and the University of Texas at Dallas have discovered that the human brain is not unique in how it changes with age. By scanning the brains of mice throughout their lifespans, the researchers found that aging mice, much like people, experienced a decline in how their different specialized brain modules interacted. These findings may one day help researchers understand the factors underlying brain changes during aging and find strategies to slow, halt or potentially reverse these declines.

Why it matters

Understanding how the brain changes with age in both humans and mice could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of age-related brain decline, diseases and disorders. Studying mice allows researchers to investigate the effects of genetics, environment and other factors on brain aging in a much shorter timeframe than would be possible with human subjects.

The details

The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of 82 mice at several intervals from ages 3 to 20 months, roughly corresponding to ages 18 to 70 years in humans. They discovered that, like humans, aging mice experienced a decline in how their different specialized brain modules interacted. However, the researchers also found significant differences, such as mouse brain modules communicating less with each other than human ones, and the human decline in brain module specialization being faster than in mice.

  • The research was published online today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
  • The scientists scanned the brains of mice from ages 3 to 20 months, roughly corresponding to ages 18 to 70 years in humans.

The players

Itamar Kahn

A principal investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute and an associate professor of neuroscience at Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Ezra Winter-Nelson

The study's lead author, a doctoral student at the lab of study co-senior author Gagan Wig.

Gagan Wig

An associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas and a co-senior author of the study.

Columbia's Zuckerman Institute

A research institute at Columbia University.

University of Texas at Dallas

The institution where Gagan Wig is an associate professor.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“By looking at mice, we can see if, say, a change in diet in their youth has an effect on them in old age, and we don't have to wait 80 years for results as we would with humans.”

— Itamar Kahn, Principal Investigator, Columbia's Zuckerman Institute

“The way the brain's modules relate together as a whole is a measure of brain health that appears to apply similarly in both humans and mice.”

— Ezra Winter-Nelson, Doctoral Student, University of Texas at Dallas

“We think the greater integration that humans have across their brain networks may contribute to aspects of cognition that are especially developed in humans.”

— Gagan Wig, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas

What’s next

The researchers noted that they only investigated one type of lab mice, and they want to look at other types of mice to understand how genetics affect trajectories of aging.

The takeaway

This study provides valuable insights into the similarities and differences between how mouse and human brains change with age, which could help researchers develop new strategies to address age-related brain decline, diseases and disorders in humans.