{"id":449585,"date":"2026-05-15T03:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T03:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/449585\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T03:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T03:44:08","slug":"so-called-superagers-have-much-to-teach-us-about-how-our-brains-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/449585\/","title":{"rendered":"So called superagers have much to teach us about how our brains age"},"content":{"rendered":"

Super-agers have brains that don\u2019t decline as fast cognitively. These people maintain their memory into their 80s and don\u2019t become forgetful and confused. Scientists are beginning to understand how.<\/p>\n

In a new study published in Nature, researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine analysed hippocampal brain samples from deceased donors ranging from adults in their 20s to \u2018super agers\u2019 or people aged 80 and over whose memory test scores matched or exceeded those of people in their 50s and 60s.<\/p>\n

The team found evidence that cognitively healthy octogenarians continued to generate new neurons \u2014 a process known as neurogenesis \u2014 in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory.<\/p>\n

Whereas in the brains of older people who had cognitive decline or Alzheimer\u2019s disease neurogenesis had slowed, the super-agers produced twice as many neurons as healthy adults with normal memory of the same age. The super-agers were found to have an added, distinct \u201cresilience signature\u201d \u2014 a cellular environment that supports the survival of new neurons \u2014 in their hippocampi, which set them apart.<\/p>\n

The study is the first to identify a genetic difference between people whose brains withstand age-related cognitive decline and those whose don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetermining why some brains age more healthily than others can help researchers make therapeutics that will boost memory in ageing and prevent Alzheimer\u2019s disease and related dementia,\u201d says Orly Lazarov, associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Illinois, Chicago.<\/p>\n

Tamar Gefen, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at NU, who was a co-author on the paper, says the findings provide \u201cbiological proof that their brains are more plastic, and a real discovery that shows that neurogenesis of young neurons in the hippocampus may be a contributing factor\u201d.<\/p>\n

Not all of us will become super-agers. Gefen says that super-ageing occurs partly because of better neurogenesis, but also \u201cbecause there is a type of genetic programming\u201d that allows for the preservation of new neurons.<\/p>\n

However, previous research by the Northwestern team has shown that age-related brain changes can be linked to lifestyle factors, such as wide friendship groups and close social connections. So, how best can we prepare to have razor-sharp memories as we age? We asked the experts:<\/p>\n

Always try to walk a few more steps (at a faster pace)<\/p>\n

Walking has a powerful impact on ageing and Professor Salvador Macip Maresma, who researches thermolecular aspects of ageing at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, in Spain, says that most of the super-agers he has encountered clocked up considerable daily steps as part of their active lives. \u201cDoing so has been shown to amplify blood flow to the brain,\u201d he says, with some studies demonstrating that just 20 minutes of walking most days from middle age onwards is enough to boost fitness to a level that will lower the risk of dementia.<\/p>\n

Try one new thing each day<\/p>\n

Monotony and lack of stimulation are the worst for brain sharpness. \u201cNeuroplasticity \u2014 a scientific term for how the brain changes with learning \u2014 only occurs when there\u2019s challenge and struggle and novelty in the things we do,\u201d says Dr Sabina Brennan, a neuroscientist and assistant professor at the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience in Dublin. \u201cWe need to try new things for our brains to become better at focusing and remembering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Sabina Brennan says \u2018we need to try new things for our brains to become better at focusing and remembering\u2019 and the new task should be challenging.\u00a0Picture: Lorraine Teevan<\/p>\n

Even tiny tweaks to your day can improve brain health, with scientists at the University of Toronto revealing how \u201cexperiential diversity\u201d \u2014 trying new things every day \u2014 can boost memory. \u201cIdeally, there should be an element of challenge, so doing Sudoku won\u2019t help much if it is too easy for you,\u201d Brennan says. \u201cBut trying a new dance routine, learning the names of the plants while you garden, will all help with brain attention and focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep in touch with friends (or make new ones)<\/p>\n

Humans thrive on social interaction, so a key aspect of healthy brain ageing is to maintain a good social circle and mix with people of different ages.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a proven biological effect, as we see older people without a strong social network go downhill very quickly,\u201d Marasma says. Psychologists reporting in the Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences journal confirmed, in an eight-year study, that from mid-life onwards, adults with strong social networks were 24% less likely to die prematurely.<\/p>\n

Go for a five-minute jog or an outdoor swim<\/p>\n

A brisk walk, a short outdoor swim, or a jog around the local park \u2014 in fact, any activity that raises your heart rate for as little as five minutes at a time \u2014 is a route to better brain health, says Dr Maddison Mellow, a neuroscientist at the University of South Australia. He reviewed data on 585 adults in their 60s and older and found a direct link between regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise and better brain-processing speed and working memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecifically, \u2018huff-and-puff\u2019 physical activity (like aerobic exercise) improves processing speed (how fast your brain thinks), executive function (how well you plan, focus, and multi-task), and working memory (your ability to store information for short periods of time),\u201d Mellow says.<\/p>\n

Eat for a healthy brain<\/p>\n

The brain is a high-energy organ and depends on the food you eat to provide energy for its cells. \u201cIt has to manage the resources available to meet the tasks,\u201d Brennan says. \u201cIt needs to know when food and nutrients are coming next, so regular meal times and a variety of nutritious food \u2014 colourful veg, oily fish, and wholegrains \u2014 are important to keep the brain functioning well.\u201d<\/p>\n

One study, from the University of North Carolina, found that eating high-fat junk food disrupted memory circuits in the brain almost immediately, with neurons in the hippocampus becoming overactive \u2014 and impairing memory \u2014 within just four days.<\/p>\n

Get regular sleep<\/p>\n

Sleep is critical for brain health as we age. \u201cWhen we go to sleep, our brain doesn\u2019t sleep, it has work to do, including a deep cleaning that gets rid of any metabolic toxins and waste,\u201d says Brennan.<\/p>\n

During sleep, electrical activity between the hippocampus and the frontal lobes filters new information taken in during the day. \u201cWhen you wake up with a clearer focus and even a solution to a problem, it is because your brain has been making connections during the night,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Her tip is to get up at the same time every morning. \u201cThat will help train you towards a more regular bedtime at night,\u201d Brennan says. \u201cAnd your sleep hours will be better regulated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Train your brain to focus by reading a book<\/p>\n

You can rebuild your mental stamina and ability to focus by setting aside time for long-form reading, instead of skimming on your phone. \u201cThere\u2019s evidence that we absorb things much better when we have read them in print form,\u201d Brennan says. \u201cWhereas online reading is fine for harnessing key points, for a deeper understanding and focus on something, we should train our brain to read printed pages for longer periods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying a new dance, learning the names of the plants while you garden, will all help with brain attention and focus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Super-agers have brains that don\u2019t decline as fast cognitively. These people maintain their memory into their 80s and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":449586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[33970,501,26054,103,61,60],"class_list":["post-449585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health-body","tag-health-fitness","tag-health-life","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=449585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/449586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=449585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=449585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=449585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}