My Brain is Bigger than Yours

I always wondered about the whole bigger brain=more intelligence thing.  Is it actually true?  Article time!  This one is from Psychology today, so it's legit.  It says that we actually reach our peak number of brain cells at a young age.  So, it's not the sheer size of the brain, they say, but which regions are larger, better connected, or more developed.  They have found that the hippocampus, the structure that lies just inside your temples, plays a specific role in memory (remember?). 

In studies of patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it was revealed that their hippocampus had actually shrunk, resulting in a drop off in memory.  If you want to have a better memory you have to have a robust hippocampus.  You can increase size by excercising, experts say.  How?  After excercising, a person has elevated levels of nerve-growth chemicals that cause nerve cells in the hippocampus to multiply.  Overall, they say that the structure of specific brain regions may play a role in mood, behavior, intelligence, and other aspects of who we are.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201002/brain-cosmetics-and-herculean-memory