People with sharp minds even in their 80s and 90s―― Known as “Super Ager” — Generates twice as many young neurons as a cognitively healthy adult and 2.5 times as many as a cognitively functional adult. alzheimer’s diseasea new study found.
“This shows that the aging brain has the ability to regenerate, which is huge,” said study co-author Tamar Geffen, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Meshlum Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Institute in Chicago.
While mature neurons are stable, young neurons are the most adaptable and plastic type of brain cell, with an enhanced ability to grow, integrate and “wire the brain,” Geffen said. Northwestern Super Aging Program. Researchers there have been studying older men and women with excellent memory for 25 years.
“Superagers show preserved immature neurons with increased excitability. They have glowing eyes and bushy tails, ready to fire,” she said. “It’s a more youthful brain.”
Additionally, the study found that superager brains contain a stronger support system in the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory) that nourishes youthful neurons, much like a young seedling is nourished by being planted in nutrient-rich soil.
“This study shows that superagers have a unique cellular environment in the hippocampus that supports neurogenesis,” Geffen said. “This is biological evidence that the brains of superagers are more flexible.”
Neurogenesis, the birth and survival of new neurons, enhances brain plasticity, the brain’s ability to repair itself to maintain good cognitive function in the face of damage and the aging process.
In fact, the brains of superagers contained more newly developed neurons than young adults in their 30s and 40s, said lead author Ori Lazaroff, professor of neuroscience and director of the Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Training Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
“The neurogenesis profile of superagers shows resilience,” Lazarov said in an email. “So they can cope with the ravages of time.”
Superagers may have a genetic advantage, but research shows practice good brain health It may also prevent cognitive decline, said Dr. Richard Isaacson, an Alzheimer’s disease prevention researcher and principal investigator at the Florida Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, who was not involved in the study.
“our research “We found that by managing vascular risk factors with certain prescription medications, along with lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, reducing stress, and optimizing sleep, brain regions, including the hippocampus, can also grow and reduce telltale signs of Alzheimer’s disease, such as tau tangles and amyloid plaques,” Isaacson said.
“We certainly weren’t taught in medical school that brain cells can grow, but we’ve seen compelling evidence of this in serial MRI scans of people who continue to make brain-healthy choices,” he says.
To become a “superager,” you must be over 80 years old and undergo extensive cognitive testing that assesses: Emily Rogalski, a neurology professor at the University of Chicago, said there are limits to our ability to recall information. In a previous interview with CNN. Rogalski was not an author of the study, but helped develop Northwestern University’s SuperAger program.
“Superagers need good episodic memory, the ability to recall everyday events and past personal experiences,” she says. “It’s important to point out when comparing super-agers to the average age group that the differences we see are not just due to intelligence, as they have similar levels of IQ.”
Superagers share similar characteristics. they tend to be positive And challenge your brain every day by reading or learning something new. Many people are physically active and continue to work into their 80s. Superagers are surrounded by family and friends, are outgoing individuals, and are often seen volunteering in their communities.
However, when it comes to healthy behaviors, superagers have mixed opinions.
“There are superagers who have heart disease and diabetes, don’t get enough exercise, and don’t eat as well as their peers,” Geffen says. “Still, what is most telling is what we discovered in brains donated by superagers.”
Analysis of brain tissue revealed that cingulate cortex, The areas responsible for attention, motivation, and cognitive engagement are thicker in superagers than in people in their 50s and 60s. Tau tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, are also reduced by one-third in the hippocampus of superagers.
another study Geffen said he found “beautiful, large, and very healthy” neurons in the entorhinal cortex of super-adolescents, one of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
“This was a surprising finding because their entorhinal neurons were even larger than in much younger individuals, some in their 30s,” she said. “This shows that there are elements of structural integrity at work, such as the structure, bones, and the skeleton of the neuron itself.”
New research sheds light on how that happens, Geffen added.
“These thick, juicy entorhinal neurons are not only larger, but may also be embedded in an enhanced ecosystem in the hippocampus that nurtures immature brain cells,” she said. “They are perfectly connected, and this new study may provide a mechanistic understanding of why they become so large.”
Previous research in humans on how neurogenesis occurs has been unclear, in part because of the types of measurement tools used, Lazaroff said. The new study was published on Wednesday. journal natureused a different technique to measure the birth of new neurons in five types of donor brains. healthy young people. Elderly people with no signs of cognitive decline. Elderly people with early dementia. Elderly people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
This tool, called multi-ohm single-cell sequencing, has allowed researchers to determine which types of brain cells support memory and cognition as the hippocampus ages. The results showed that two cell types, astrocytes and CA1 neurons, are the main drivers of memory retention in the super-adolescent brains.
CA1 neurons are important for memory, helping to integrate and retrieve past experiences. “These are among the first brain cells attacked by tau in Alzheimer’s disease,” Geffen said.
Astrocytes are far more numerous than neurons and are essential for regulating blood flow to the brain. This brain cell It also promotes the formation of synapses, the junctions where nerve signals are passed from one neuron to another, which are the basis of brain function, learning, and memory.
“In superagers, astrocytes and CA1 neurons support the hippocampus in a previously unknown way by facilitating synaptic signaling between neurons,” Geffen said. “Immature neurons, the CA1 circuit, and astrocytes are all coordinating in a very rich environment.”
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