As humans age, our brains shrink. Studies show that the human brain shrinks at a rate of about 5% of its weight every decade past the age of 40, and likely even quicker after age 70. This shrinking affects our cognitive abilities, including memory and more.
However, a small population of people over the age of 80 have managed to slow down the shrinking of their brains and thus, have the memory of someone in their 50s or 60s.
Those people are called SuperAgers.
What Are SuperAgers?
SuperAgers (named such by Northwestern University’s Mesulam Center researchers) are people over the age of 80 who have managed to maintain a youthful brain that functions like someone 20 to 30 years younger.
Northwestern University has been studying SuperAgers and their unusually great memories for nearly 15 years and has uncovered some truly incredible findings.
Not Due to Intelligence
You may at first think that these SuperAgers have excelled in memory because they’re smarter, but researchers have found that’s not the case.
Rather, they’ve found that the IQ levels of SuperAgers are similar to the average aging people. So, the enhanced cognitive function is not due to intelligence.
If not that, then what?
Thicker Cortex
One of the main reasons that SuperAgers’ brains don’t shrink at the typical speed is because their cortex maintains its thickness.
The cortex is the part of the brain that is in charge of three major things:
Thinking
Decision-making
Memory
As most people age, their cortex shrinks, which causes a decline in the above cortex functions.
Healthier Cells
Another finding that researchers at Northwestern identified is that SuperAger brains have bigger and healthier cells in their entorhinal cortex, which is the part of the brain that is connected to the hippocampus.
If someone has Alzheimer’s disease, the entorhinal cortex is one of the key areas that’s affected. That’s often due to abnormalities in the nerve cells, called tau tangles.
More Economo Neurons
Economo neurons are a rare brain cell that allows for quicker communication across the brains of humans, apes, elephants, whales, and dolphins.
These neurons are found in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain, which allows for the linking of cognition and emotion, both of which are integral to memory.
And, unsurprisingly, SuperAgers have more of these neurons.
Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
Beyond the science of what’s happening inside the brain of a SuperAger, researchers found that SuperAgers also share some similarities when it comes to lifestyle.
The following may play a role in the prolonged strength and memory of SuperAger brains:
Physical activities
Positive mindset/outlook
Daily brain challenges (learning something new every day)
Social activities (lots of time around others)
What Is the SuperAging Research Program?
For the past nearly 15 years, Northwestern University Mesulam Center has been researching a unique group of adults in their SuperAging Research Program. These adults are over the age of 80 and their brains have the memory capacity of people who are 20-30 years younger.
Anyone who thinks they fit the bill can apply, but only about 10% of applicants are eligible for the program.
In order to be eligible you not only have to be over the age of 80, but you also must have an incredibly strong memory that can quickly and easily remember things from your past.
Participants undergo surveys about memory, blood sample collection, MRI brain imaging, and brain donation after death to help researchers learn more about the different factors that contribute to such strong brain health later in life.
