Older individuals are taking a moment to reflect.
In the U.S., the average life expectancy hovers around 78 years, which is, interestingly, four years less for certain groups. Among them, there’s a category known as “Super Agers,” who possess the memory and cognitive skills typical of middle-aged individuals.
A recent study from Northwestern University uncovers intriguing aspects of the Super Agers’ brains, suggesting these characteristics may provide protection against dementia.
“Our findings indicate that having an exceptional memory in older age is not only achievable but is linked to a distinct neurobiological profile,” shared Dr. Sandra Weintraub, a lead author of the newly published research.
“This discovery opens up new avenues for interventions to enhance brain health in later life.”
Northwestern’s Superager program has been ongoing for over 25 years. To qualify, individuals must be over 80 years old, possess cognitive health, and actively engage in life.
Generally, Super Agers maintain vibrant social lives.
Since 2000, about 290 participants have been involved in the study, with 79 allowing researchers to conduct postmortem brain examinations.
Findings suggest that the brains of Super Agers typically lack two key features associated with Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
“We discovered two mechanisms that might lead to someone becoming a Super Ager,” Weintraub noted, emphasizing the aspect of resilience. “While they may produce plaques or tangles, these have little to no impact on their brains.”
Furthermore, Super Agers showed no significant thinning in their cerebral cortex, and interestingly, their anterior cingulate cortex was thicker compared to younger adults.
This particular area of the brain plays a role in emotional regulation and cognitive functions like attention and decision-making.
Additionally, Super Agers exhibit a higher number of von Economo neurons (linked to quick, intuitive social judgments), larger immune cells, and fewer brain activations compared to their peers.
These attributes may explain how they excel in memory tests, recalling a significant number of words after a delay.
The study’s findings have been documented in the journal “Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia.”
While researchers at Northwestern have gained substantial insights into the brains of Super Agers, effective methods to prevent Alzheimer’s disease still remain elusive.
“I wish I had the definitive answer, but, honestly, I want my job to become obsolete,” remarked co-author Tamar Gefen, who teaches psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Feinberg School.
She mentioned several factors that might contribute to dementia risk: genetics, unique immune responses, and various biological or environmental stresses encountered throughout life.
The Lancet Commission has identified 14 modifiable risk factors linked to dementia, which researchers believe should be addressed. These encompass issues like low education levels, traumatic brain injuries, lack of physical activity, smoking, heavy drinking, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, social isolation, and untreated vision problems.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia, but it’s certainly not the only one.
