Wisdom and age link true says expert

A POPULAR assumption that wisdom and old age go hand-in-hand is in fact true, a city conference has heard.

Experts said the elderly compensate for losing physical and memory attributes by creating a unique mix of intelligence and spirituality.

The findings, based on a study of 3,000 people aged between 60 and 100, were revealed at the International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists being held in Edinburgh this week.

Prof Dilip Jeste, of the University of California, said the slowing of the brain as the years pass help to nurture wisdom.

He said: "The fact that older people are slower to respond than younger people is widely seen as a disadvantage. But that's not always the case.

"The elderly brain is less dopamine-dependent, making people less impulsive and controlled by emotion."