Can the human brain shrink?

Brain shrinkage, a common symptom of ageing when people hit their 60's, appears to have no impact on an individual's capacity to think or learn, according to Australian National University research.

Can someone please help as I am studying the brain at school (yr4) and I need to find out if the brain can shrink as we get older. Thankyou

Brain shrinkage
Throughout adulthood, there is a gradual reduction in the weight and volume of the brain. This decline is about 2% per decade. Contrary to previously held beliefs, the decline does not accelerate after the age of 50, but continues at about the same pace from early adulthood on. The accumulative effects of this are generally not noticed until older age.

It has long been thought that the reason for brain shrinkage is the loss of neurons. Some past studies estimated that adults lose as many as 100,000 neurons a day. However, improved testing techniques have revealed that the actual loss of neurons is far less significant than previously thought. While some brain cells are lost, the reduction in brain volume is more a function of the neurons themselves shrinking in size, making them less effective messengers.

While the brain does shrink in size, it does not do so uniformly. Certain structures are more prone to shrinkage. For example, the hippocampus and the frontal lobes, two structures involved in memory, often become smaller. This is partly due to a loss of neurons and partly due to the atrophy of some neurons. Many other brain structures suffer no loss in size.