In short, the super agers’ brains shrank at a significantly slower rate.Īt Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, researchers are studying younger super agers - people between age 60 and 80 who have memory recall abilities similar to those of 18- to 32-year-olds. They measured a 2.24% average annual volume loss in the cognitively normal adults versus a 1.06% loss in the super agers. In a third investigation, the Northwestern researchers used MRI to measure brain volume over an 18-month period in a small group of study participants age 80 and older. Their brains had more of these neurons even than the brains of younger adults. In a separate study, the Northwestern researchers found that super agers’ brains contained a much higher density of a particular type of cell called von Economo neurons, which are linked to social intelligence and awareness. In fact, a specific region of the anterior cingulate cortex was significantly thicker in the brains of cognitive super agers than in middle agers’ brains. Comparisons revealed that the cingulate cortex, a brain region considered important for the integration of information related to memory, attention, cognitive control, and motivation was thicker in super agers than in their same-age peers and showed no atrophy compared with the same brain region of the middle agers. The researchers conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on 12 cognitive super agers, 10 cognitively normal peers, and 14 cognitively normal people in the 50- to 65-year age range. Researchers at Northwestern University’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease in Chicago have tentatively identified a “brain signature” for cognitive super agers, which they define as people age 80 years and older who have performance on memory tests comparable to people two to three decades younger. Physically, the brains of cognitive super agers seem to defy wear and tear better than the average brain. The Elite Brains of Cognitive Super Agers These brain changes can affect thinking, making it harder to recall words and names, focus on tasks, and process new information. Over time, the brain can also be affected by declining levels of neurotransmitters, changing hormones, deteriorating blood vessels, and impaired circulation of blood glucose. Brain shrinkage mostly affects the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and the cerebral cortex, which is important for complex thought processes. population.Īccording to Kawas, a 90-year-old brain typically weighs 1,100 to 1,200 grams, and this is 100 or more grams less than the typical 40-year-old brain. She leads the longitudinal 90+ Study of more than 1,800 people age 90 years and older - the fastest growing sector of the U.S. “Atrophy is the strongest correlate of age,” said Claudia Kawas, M.D., of the University of California (UC), Irvine. “We want to study these cognitive super agers, who clearly break the expectation of cognitive decline, and unravel their secrets.” How the Brain Changes with Age “There is a tendency to equate aging with a decline in mental function,” said Molly Wagster, Ph.D., chief of the Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Branch in NIA’s Division of Neuroscience. NIA-supported researchers are exploring the factors that set these people apart so the knowledge can be used to help others prevent or reverse age-related cognitive decline. These lucky few, called cognitive super agers, perform demonstrably better on memory tests, such as remembering past events or recalling a list of words, compared with other adults their age. Some people remain cognitively sharp into their 80s, 90s, and beyond, defying the common assumption that cognitive decline is a natural part of aging. Although it’s normal for brainpower to decline as people age, it’s not inevitable, studies show.
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