How do super-elders resist brain aging? Science explains.

When we think about aging, we often assume that memory decline or loss is inevitable, something that comes with the passage of time. However, a group of people known as super-elders challenge this belief. These individuals, over 80 years old, have memories comparable to those up to 30 years younger, and their brains seem to resist and even evade the classic signs of cognitive decline. What's so special about super-elders?

This concept refers to a person aged 80 or older who scores at least 9 out of 15 words on a delayed verbal memory test ( Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test ), matching the performance of people aged 50 to 65. By comparison, the average older adult remembers only about five words. Furthermore, super-elderly people also show a remarkable biological resilience to brain aging.

Now, a recent study published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia and supported by more than two decades of research from Northwestern University (USA) reveals the key to this mystery: the brains of the super-elderly are literally younger; they have unique anatomical and cellular characteristics.

Researchers conducted an experiment with nearly 300 participants (and 77 brains donated to the program after their deaths). Among the results, brain scans of these subjects reveal that their cerebral cortex— the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher functions such as memory, reasoning, and language—remains thicker than that of their peers. In some cases, it's even thicker than that of people in their 50s or 60s.

Without going any further, the area known as the anterior cingulate cortex , related to motivation, decision-making and emotional regulation , is not only preserved in the super-elderly , but is significantly thicker than in neurotypical young adults, a finding that is incredible.

Experts identified two possible paths that would explain why these brains withstand the passage of time so well. On the one hand, resistance : some super-elderly people do not develop amyloid plaques or the neurofibrillary tangles typical of Alzheimer's . On the other hand, resilience : although some people do develop these plaques, the brain remains functional. That is , the damage is noticeable, but its effects are not manifested , which suggests that there is no single formula for preserving memory. It seems that there are multiple routes to reaching old age with a youthful mind.

Another finding the researchers made was that these brains also show less brain inflammation. Postmortem studies of brains donated to science showed less activation of microglia (immune cells of the central nervous system), which reduces the risk of neurodegeneration .

Well, it seems there's no single lifestyle that everyone can share. Some exercise, some don't; some follow healthy diets , some don't; some sleep well, some don't; some have been smokers, some haven't; some have had very stressful lives, some haven't...

So? The only common thread among all of them was their social life. All super-elders tend to be sociable, active people with meaningful relationships and busy schedules: book clubs, volunteer work, family gatherings, and so on. As Tamar Gefen , a neuropsychologist at Northwestern University, explains, " Sociability appears to play as important a protective role as biological one."

When we think about aging, we often assume that memory decline or loss is inevitable, something that comes with the passage of time. However, a group of people known as super-elders challenge this belief. These individuals, over 80 years old, have memories comparable to those up to 30 years younger, and their brains seem to resist and even evade the classic signs of cognitive decline. What's so special about super-elders?