{"id":315808,"date":"2026-03-01T05:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T05:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/315808\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T05:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T05:18:11","slug":"were-seeing-superagers-aged-80-with-memory-as-sharp-as-40-year-olds-neurogenesis-powers-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/315808\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We\u2019re seeing \u2018SuperAgers\u2019 aged 80+ with memory as sharp as 40-year-olds \u2014 neurogenesis powers this\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u2018We\u2019re Please describe your research?\u25a0 The SuperAgers study at Northwestern University was developed 25 years ago. Its goal is to examine individuals over the age of 80 who have the memory capacity of people aged 30 or 40 years younger. This aims to identify factors that contribute to outstanding memory performance despite ageing, so we can protect people from diseases that target memory, such as Alzheimer\u2019s.We\u2019ve amassed a unique database now. In our new findings published this week, we\u2019ve examined the hippocampus of SuperAger brains. This is the primary region of the brain responsible for learning and memory. It also gets hit by Alzheimer\u2019s neuropathology first \u2014 hence, memory problems develop. We\u2019ve collaborated with a team led by Professor Orly Lazarus ( see right ) at the University of Illinois on this.Neurogenesis is the ability for new neurons to develop in the brain. For many years, it wasn\u2019t even known if this happened at all in human beings. Orly\u2019s team has provided biological proof now that neurogenesis does exist in us and it happens in an area of the hippocampus, which is fascinating with regard to how we humans encode, learn and remember.\".\"<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Neurogenesis itself takes place in stages \u2014 think of human development, starting from the womb to birth, childhood to adolescence, young adulthood, mature adulthood and ageing. Neurons go through a similar trajectory \u2014 they start as stem cells, become neuroblasts and progenitor cells, turn into immature neurons, then mature adult neurons. Orly found SuperAgers had upto two and a half times more the amount of immature neurons in their hippocampus than normal peers. This is incredible as this stage of neurogenesis is particularly reflective of plasticity \u2014 it means the brain is flexible. So, here is biological proof that brain plasticity is possible in humans \u2014 and it still continues in our 80s and 90s.Which factors shape such neurogenesis?\u25a0 This study suggests genetics of the cell are absolutely critical for neurogenesis. Orly has even shown how in Alzheimer\u2019s, the genetic programs are all in an inverse pattern compared to the SuperAgers\u2019 genetic code. This is not hereditary genetics here but the DNA that tells each cell what to do.There is a possibility that epigenetics or lifestyle choices play a role \u2014 these could potentially be involved in regulating and modulating the genes embedded in that genetic code \u2014 however, we have not confirmed that yet. It\u2019s true generally that good diet, low stress, exercise, no smoking, etc., help prevent dementia \u2014 whether these have a direct effect on neurogenesis is not known. This is the next step in our research. Animal models do show all these factors plus \u2018enrichment\u2019 \u2014 socialisation \u2014 do cause differences in neurogenesis.What are some other striking characteristics of SuperAgers?\u25a0 They have outstanding memory but their other cognitive domains, like attention, planning and organising, also do well. Further, we see some domains performing even better than others \u2014 for example, their ability to retrieve words or use language during speech tends to be faster. Next, they tend to be highly extroverted and have very close social relationships, which is not just about the number of bonds but their quality.\"Uplifting:<\/p>\n

Uplifting: \u2018SuperAgers\u2019 show human minds, even after hard times, can stay sharp well into our 90s \u2014 linked to neurogenesis, scientists will see if lifestyle choices shape this<\/p>\n

They also tend to score low on neuroticism \u2014 many of us are very neurotic and anxious now but these people are not. Importantly, SuperAgers are not necessarily higher IQ than their peers, they don\u2019t necessarily have better education or come from more affluent backgrounds \u2014 there is equal potential thus for everyone to become a SuperAger and live long, healthy and rich lives.Does neurogenesis influence their positive approach to life \u2014 or could it be the other way around?\u25a0 I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m hesitant to give an answer to that yet. The data is correlative. These people do have an openness and connect more \u2014 is that because of neurogenesis? It could be \u2014 but even then, it is just one factor in a much larger tapestry.Orly used a very beautiful phrase in her paper which is biologically-based \u2014 she said these people have a \u2018resilience signature\u2019. I would expand that beyond biology to emotional, psychological, physical and social resilience. Some of these SuperAgers have gone to hell and back \u2014 some are Holocaust survivors. Some have experienced abuse and trauma, others have suffered incarceration and poverty. They are incredibly diverse people who have not had the easiest lives \u2014 and they have made it to old age, thriving.Could the future thus bring medical treatments specifically to improve neurogenesis?\u25a0 Yes, it\u2019s a possibility. Orly has uncovered the genetic expression pattern of neurogenesis and, in a way, neuron resilience. If you\u2019re able to develop, say, a genetic editing tool to mimic the resilience signature or modify the code in someone who is at high risk genetically for Alzheimer\u2019s, that could be an avenue for treatment.Also, there is a type of inflammatory cell known as an astrocyte \u2014 this study shows that is also part of the hippocampal environment, allowing for a more enriched atmosphere for neurogenesis to occur. These cells are part of the brain\u2019s immunity system. So, another avenue could be to manipulate this in a very targeted way with, say, an astrocyte marker, relying on them to enhance the hippocampal environment for better neurogenesis. This will all take time \u2014 but it\u2019s an incredible starting point.What are the implications of this very hopeful study?\u25a0 Plasticity, newness and usefulness in a biological sense are possible even as we age. We now have physical evidence of this. Down the line, we will be able to actively prescribe treatments towards this. Until then, we must proceed very carefully and methodically in our research. Views expressed are personal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Please describe your research?\u25a0 The SuperAgers study at Northwestern University was developed 25 years ago. Its goal is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315809,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[9524,163,85,46,34490,157730,157731,137635,2007,120189],"class_list":{"0":"post-315808","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-alzheimers","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-israel","12":"tag-northwestern-university","13":"tag-orly-lazarus","14":"tag-superager","15":"tag-superagers","16":"tag-university-of-illinois","17":"tag-views"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/315809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}