A comprehensive 25-year study by Northwestern University has uncovered distinctive brain characteristics that allow "SuperAgers" individuals aged 80 or older with exceptional memory and cognitive abilities to resist typical age-related decline and dementia. Crucial findings include:
- Resistance and Resilience: SuperAgers either do not develop typical Alzheimer's plaques and tangles (resistance) or, if these develop, they do not impact their brain functioning (resilience).
- Youthful Brain Structure: Contrary to normal aging brains that show cortical thinning, SuperAgers have minimal thinning in the cerebral cortex. Specifically, their anterior cingulate cortex is thicker than that of much younger adults. This brain region is essential for decision-making, emotion, and motivation.
- Unique Cellular Features: SuperAgers possess a higher number of von Economo neurons, linked to social behavior and emotional processing, and larger entorhinal neurons, which play key roles in memory.
- Sociability: Despite diverse lifestyles, a shared trait among SuperAgers is their strong social engagement and active personal relationships.
- Exceptional Cognitive Performance: They score remarkably well on memory tests, comparable to people 30 years younger.
These discoveries, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, suggest potential new avenues for developing interventions to preserve brain health and prevent neurodegenerative diseases during aging. The research is ongoing, with many SuperAger brain donations fueling insights long after death.
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