It's been demonstrated that some areas of the brain clearly undergo physical changes. The frontal lobe is one area that is particularly prone to shrinking. Yet, despite these changes, not all older adults notice significant difficulties with cognition. Recent research has suggested that this may be because the brain has found ways of compensating for the loss or atrophy of neurons in one area by utilizing a different area.

In one study, a group of young people (in their 20s and 30s) was compared to an older group (in their 70s and 80s). Both groups had equal ability for learning and remembering a list of words. The researchers used PET scan studies to compare the two groups as they were shown 16 words, which they organized into categories and remembered. A PET scan displays a color image that highlights the parts of the brain that are active while a person is performing a mental task.

The younger people used the frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain where working memory takes place. This part of the brain is used for organizational tasks, such as grouping words. The older group seemed to use a different part of the brain. They used the visual association areas.
The older group did just as well on the test. This suggests that the brain may have the capability of switching functions out of the frontal lobes into other areas.

Other studies, using similar methods, have also found that older people tend to use different parts of the brain for working memory tasks than younger people. Additional research is continuing in this area to confirm whether older adults use different brain networks to compensate for losses.