Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Most people experience some decline in memory and learning abilities with age. However, some older adults, known as Cognitive SuperAgers, demonstrate memory performance comparable to those 25 to 30 years younger. These individuals are at least 80 years old and have memory test scores that match or exceed those in their 50s and 60s.
An NIH-funded research team analyzed more than 350,000 individual brain cells from younger adults and older adults, including Cognitive SuperAgers. The brain cells came from donated postmortem brains. Researchers focused on identifying newly formed brain cells and examining their molecular composition.
The findings showed that the molecular make-up of new brain cells varied according to the donor's cognitive abilities. Notably, SuperAgers' brain cells had a distinctive molecular profile. SuperAgers also had a greater number of newly created brain cells than other older adult groups. Certain processes involved in communication between brain cells and cell survival were better preserved in SuperAgers' brains.
Dr. Orly Lazarov of the University of Illinois, Chicago, who co-led the study, stated that understanding why some brains age more healthily could inform the development of treatments to enhance memory in aging and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.