We often assume that mental sharpness belongs to the young. The latest science tells a very different story.
A 2025 study by Professor Gilles Gignac, a psychologist at the University of Western Australia, published in Intelligence, analysed 16 dimensions of human capability – from cognitive ability and decision-making to emotional regulation and personality.
It found that overall mental performance peaks between the ages of 55 and 60. Gignac’s “Cognitive-Personality Functioning Index” shows that while some processing speed declines with age, experience, judgement and emotional steadiness more than compensate. What emerges is a deeper, more integrative form of intelligence – one that becomes stronger with time. Read the study here
This matters because cognition underpins everything about how we lead, communicate and perform. Focus, clarity, decision quality and empathy are not static traits. They evolve. And according to this new data, they reach their most balanced expression in our late fifties.
The Female Brain: A Software Update, Not a Decline
For women, this insight sits within a much larger story.
The female brain is densely populated with oestrogen receptors and responds dynamically to hormonal change during perimenopause. Structural reorganisation occurs in areas critical for attention, emotion and memory, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
It can feel like disruption – brain fog, word-finding pauses, or lapses in focus – but it is in fact a period of renewal. As neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi explains, the brain is rewiring for the next phase of life. She describes this state as one of “emotional transcendence”: less impulsive, more strategic, and capable of seeing patterns and connections with greater clarity.
From an evolutionary perspective, the so-called grandmother hypothesis suggests that post-menopausal women developed unique cognitive advantages that strengthened communities through mentorship, foresight and wisdom.
Perimenopause, then, is not a decline but a biological leadership upgrade – a temporary reorganisation that builds the neural networks for the next stage of influence.
The Workforce Shift: Women Over 50 Are Shaping the Future
According to Women of Influence Canada’s 2025 report, “The Authority of Age: Why Women Over 50 Are Leadership’s Hidden Advantage”, by 2030 women over 50 will make up more than a quarter of the global workforce.
This finding was discussed in a recent LinkedIn Live event hosted by Zabeen Hirji, Executive Advisor for the Future of Work at Deloitte, and Maricel Dicion, Managing Director of Women of Influence.
Their message was clear: age is not a liability. It is a competitive advantage. Organisations that recognise the value of this demographic, and support women through midlife transition, are not only retaining talent – they are unlocking peak cognitive capacity, stability and leadership potential.
It also reframes how we view longevity. If the brain reaches its most integrated state at this stage of life, then investing in health, cognition and emotional resilience is not personal maintenance. It is a strategic act of leadership.
Leadership, Longevity and the Brain
Gallup’s State of the World’s Emotional Health (2025) found that emotional steadiness and empathy are now among the strongest predictors of effective leadership. These traits, shaped by experience, are exactly those that deepen with age.
When seen through this lens, longevity is not just about adding years. It is about expanding capacity – sustaining the focus, calm and clarity that allow leaders to make decisions with both head and heart.
The question is no longer how to avoid decline, but how to design for sustained performance.
EpigenEdit Protocols for Enhancing Mental Clarity
At EpigenEdit, we view longevity as a practice that begins with the brain. Our approach integrates science-backed interventions that optimise oxygen metabolism, neuroplasticity and metabolic balance. These are daily, weekly and monthly protocols we recommend for maintain your brains peak performance.
Daily
- Hydration and nutrition: Eat for stability, not spikes. Whole foods and omega-3 fats support healthy brain membranes and reduce inflammation.
- Oxygen activation: Ten minutes of movement or breathwork to stimulate cerebral oxygen flow and sharpen focus.
- Cognitive balance: Short daily moments of mindfulness or learning to strengthen attention and neuroplasticity.
Weekly
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Enhances oxygen delivery to brain tissue and supports mitochondrial function.
- Movement and strength training: Regular exercise supports memory, mood and new neuron growth in the hippocampus.
- Rest and recovery: Take one device-free day to reduce cognitive load and reset focus.
Monthly
- Sleep review: Assess quality and duration, ensuring consistent circadian rhythm and restorative rest.
- Brain health check: Track patterns in focus, creativity and energy.
- Reinvention ritual: Set new intellectual or creative challenges to keep neural pathways active and adaptable.
Final Thoughts
“Your brain doesn’t fade with age; it refines. At 55, you are not losing capacity – you are gaining clarity. The key is to support the biology behind it. Longevity is not about resisting time. It is about redesigning how we live, lead and think”
— Katrin Dreissigacker and Danijela Schenker Schenker, Co-Founders, EpigenEdit
