The brains of so-called “SuperAgers” have been studied over the past 25 years. The results are now known. The key for these “super elderly people? Socialize.
For decades, the idea that cognitive decline is inevitable with age has dominated geriatric medicine, but a 25-year study by Northwestern Medicine reveals that there are people who challenge this concept. They are called “SuperAgers” (or “super elderly”, for free translation), that is, octogenarians with a memory equivalent to that of people 30 years younger.
SuperAgers not only maintain unusual cognitive abilities for their age, but their brains appear to resist the effects of aging and neurodegenerative diseasessuch as Alzheimer’s. They maintain an active social life and strong interpersonal relationships, which also appears to contribute to the preservation of memory and brain health.
The performance in memory tests of these super elderly people is comparable to that of people aged 50. According to led by scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, it was discovered that their brains remain structurally youngwith an outer cortical layer — the cortex — without significant thinning, and even have a thicker anterior cingulate cortex than younger adults.
This region of the brain, explains , is fundamental for integrating information related to decision making, emotions and motivation.
Additionally, SuperAgers have unique cellular characteristics. They have more von Economo neurons, linked to social behavior, and larger entorhinal neurons — essential for memory — when compared to people of the same age who experience typical brain aging.
The concept of “SuperAger” was introduced in the late 1990s by M. Marcel Mesulamfounder of the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern. Since 2000, 290 SuperAgers have participated in the study, and 77 brains have been analyzed post-mortem. Some had proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease, such as amyloid and tau — known as plaques and tangles — while others showed no accumulation.
According to Sandra Weintraub, professor of psychiatry, behavioral sciences and neurology at Northwestern, there are two mechanisms that explain the phenomenon from SuperAgers: resistancewhen the brain does not develop plaques and tangles; and resiliencewhen these proteins appear but do not affect brain function.
SuperAgers score, for example, at least 9 out of 15 on a word memory test — a performance equivalent to individuals in their 50s or 60s.
The role of sociability is extremely important in this performance. Although SuperAgers have varied lifestyles and different approaches to exercise, there is one common thread: heightened sociability. Maintaining strong interpersonal relationships and an active social life appear to be crucial factors for preserving memory and brain health.
Recent discoveries about SuperAgers open the door to new interventions to preserve brain health in old age. They demonstrate that aging with a young memory and brain is not only possible, but is linked to a distinct neurobiological profile.
