25 years looking into Super Agers

Northwestern Now -  For 25 years, scientists at Northwestern Medicine have been studying individuals aged 80 and older — dubbed “SuperAgers” — to better understand what makes them tick.

These unique individuals, who show outstanding memory performance at a level consistent with individuals who are at least three decades younger, challenge the long-held belief that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of aging.

Over the quarter-century of research, the scientists have seen some notable lifestyle and personality differences between SuperAgers and those aging typically — such as being social and gregarious — but “it’s really what we’ve found in their brains that’s been so earth-shattering for us,” said Dr. Sandra Weintraub, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

By identifying biological and behavioral traits associated with SuperAging, the scientists hope to uncover new strategies to promote cognitive resilience and delay or prevent Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause cognitive decline and dementia.

“Our findings show that exceptional memory in old age is not only possible but is linked to a distinct neurobiological profile. This opens the door to new interventions aimed at preserving brain health well into the later decades of life,” said Weintraub, corresponding author of a new paper summarizing the findings....

The term “SuperAger” was coined by Dr. M. Marsel Mesulam, who founded the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease at Northwestern in the late 1990s...

“What we realized is there are two mechanisms that lead someone to become a SuperAger,” Weintraub said. “One is resistance: they don’t make the plaques and tangles. Two is resilience: they make them, but they don’t do anything to their brains.”

Other Key findings 

• Exceptional memory performance: SuperAgers score at least 9 out of 15 on a delayed word recall test — on par with individuals in their 50s and 60s.
• Youthful brain structure: Unlike typically aging brains, SuperAgers show no significant thinning of their cortex — the outer layer of the brain — and even have a thicker anterior cingulate cortex than younger adults. This crucial region of the brain plays a significant role in integrating information related to decision-making, emotion and motivation.
• Unique cellular traits: SuperAgers have more von economo neurons, which are specialized cells linked to social behavior, and larger entorhinal neurons, which are critical for memory, than their typically aging peers.
• Sociability as a common trait: Despite having diverse lifestyles and varying approaches to exercise, SuperAgers tend to be highly social and report strong interpersonal relationships.