The Well-kept Minds Of “superagers”

As we age, our cognitive abilities begin to deteriorate. Thinking skills, memory and processing speed, which reach their peak performance in adulthood, are affected with age. However, there is a group of the elderly population that performs better than other people of their age. These people are called “ superagers” .

This name is given to people aged 80 and over whose memory is as good as that of people 25 or 30 years younger. This has generated great interest in the scientific community, mainly because these people are active and do not show signs of fatigue. Thus, there is a possibility that they have a different genetic make-up.

Why are superagers special?

In general, superagers  are special because they  have higher abilities than normal for their age. Some experts divide them into two categories: superagers physical and  superagers  cognitive. People in the first group have fantastic aerobic capacity. People in the second group have an excellent memory, comparable to that of young people.

Likewise, it is more or less clear that people from both groups are more resilient in the face of life’s adversities. Researchers have even studied whether their personality traits include being more outgoing and less neurotic. That would mean they face challenges in a different way. They may even lean towards activities that increase their brain capacity, such as exercise or other stimulating activities.

It is not known exactly why only a few elderly people have these characteristics. What is clear is that researchers around the world are trying to find out more about this so they can help adults who don’t have them. In fact, they have already found results about what sets them apart and therefore why they reached this level of cognition.

a different type of brain

Researchers are focused on studying these people’s brains. One of the discoveries they made is related to the beta-amyloid protein. This protein, naturally present in the brain, can end up building up in plaques, which are a key point in Alzheimer’s disease.

They observed a greater presence of beta-amyloid and even plaques in superagers. However, their cognitive and memory capacities were intact despite this heightened presence.

Furthermore, it appears that these “super-elderly”  have more von Economo neurons   than the average of their peers. These neurons are a special type of cell that apparently served to meet the demands of a larger brain during evolution. Throughout their development they became a center of emotion, sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

The researchers found more neurons of this type in three brain regions of superagers :

• Fronto-insular cortex.
• Dorsolateral prefrontal.
• Anterior cingulate (this one is thicker in superagers and is related to executive functions, empathy and communication).

social aspect

If we consider the brain characteristics that differentiate them, it would be expected that they would also exhibit different social behavior. In this sense, a University of Chicago study compared a group of superagers with a group of their peers in terms of personality, well-being and memory.

Researchers observed similar levels of well-being in both groups. However, superagers scored higher on the positive relationships scale. In other words, they showed greater satisfaction and quality in their relationships. This discovery fits with the further development of von Economo neurons and the anterior cingulate cortex, establishing itself as a key point in preserving their minds.

Furthermore, a wide field of research has confirmed that social activities and positive interactions are very beneficial for cognitive health. Not just because of the importance of social support, but because when we interact with other people, we activate the whole brain and hone some cognitive skills. Among them, memory, attention and decision making.

So how can we become superagers ? This is not yet clear. In fact, genetic differences were observed in this more conserved group. However, if we consider its characteristics, once again nature and research remind us that the secret to being healthy is to stay physically, mentally and socially active .