SuperAger Brains Distinctly Different Than Those of Peers

In a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine compared so-called “SuperAger” brains (people age 80 and older who have memories as sharp as people 30 years younger) to people of similar ages and found the “brain signature” of the SuperAgers have a thicker anterior cingulate cortex, significantly fewer tanglers — a primary marker of Alzheimer’s disease — and a substantial supply of von Economo neurons, which are linked to higher social intelligence. “Identifying the factors that contribute to the SuperAgers’ unusual memory capacity may allow us to offer strategies to help the growing population of ‘normal’ elderly maintain their cognitive function and guide future therapies to treat certain dementias,” said the study’s lead author. During the study, MRI imaging and an analysis of the SuperAger brains (post mortem) showed the anterior cingulate cortex — the area responsible for intellectual function — of 31 SuperAgers was not only significantly thicker than the same area in 21 similarly-aged individuals with normal cognitive performance, it was also larger than the same area in a group of subjects aged 50-60. “It’s thought that these von Economo neurons play a critical role in the rapid transmission of behaviorally relevant information related to social interactions…which is how they may relate to better memory capacity,” said the senior author. To read more about this study, click here.