Super Agers' Brains Keep Making New Neurons
Research published this week shows that "super agers" - older adults who maintain youthful cognitive abilities into their seventies and eighties - continue producing new neurons at rates much higher than typical for their age group. This neurogenesis appears to underlie their exceptional memory and problem-solving skills. The findings suggest lifestyle factors like regular physical activity, social engagement, and ongoing learning may contribute to keeping the brain young.
- The term "super ager" was coined by researchers at Northwestern University to describe people aged 80 and older who possess the memory skills of individuals 20 to 30 years their junior. - This new research, published in the journal *Nature*, found that super agers produce new neurons in the hippocampus at double the rate of other healthy older adults and 2.5 times the rate of those with Alzheimer's disease. - Beyond new neuron growth, super agers' brains exhibit other unique features, including a thicker anterior cingulate cortex (a region crucial for attention and memory) and a higher concentration of specialized large brain cells called Von Economo neurons. - The brains of super agers also appear to be more resilient; post-mortem studies have revealed that some had the characteristic plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease but never showed any symptoms of dementia. - Physically, the brains of super agers shrink at a significantly slower rate, losing volume at about half the annual rate of their cognitively average peers. - While neurogenesis typically declines with age, studies show it continues for most people well into their 90s, though at a much-reduced rate compared to super agers. - Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University identified these differences by examining donated brain tissue from five distinct groups: super agers, healthy older adults, younger adults, and individuals with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's. - The next phase of research will investigate how specific lifestyle and environmental factors may influence the genes responsible for promoting this enhanced neurogenesis.
