Scientists discover a key to staying mentally sharp in old age

People in their 80s and 90s with razor-sharp minds – Known as “Super Olds” — produces twice as many young neurons as cognitively healthy adults and 2.5 times as many as disabled people. Alzheimer’s diseaseA new study was found.

Study co-author Dr. “This shows that the aging brain has the capacity to regenerate – this is huge,” said Tamar Gefen.

While a mature neuron is stable, a young neuron is the most adaptable and plastic type of brain cell, with enhanced growth, integration, and the ability to “attach itself to a brain,” Gefen says. Northwest Super Aging Program. Researchers here have been studying older men and women with superior memories for 25 years.

“Super Olds show preservation of immature neurons with increased excitability—they are bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to fire,” he said. “This is a younger mind.”

In addition, the study found that SuperAger brains contain stronger support systems in the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory), nurturing young neurons like a young sapling is nourished when planted in nutrient-rich soil.

“This research shows that Super Elders have a unique cellular environment in their hippocampus that supports neurogenesis,” Gefen said. “This is biological evidence that Super Olds have more plastic brains.”

Neurogenesis, the birth and survival of new neurons, increases brain plasticity, the brain’s ability to repair itself to maintain good cognitive function in the face of injury and the aging process.

Senior author Orly Lazarov, professor of neuroscience and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said that the brains of Super Elders actually contain more newly developed neurons than young adults in their 30s and 40s.

“The neurogenesis profile in Super Elders indicates resilience,” Lazarov said in an email. “So they can cope with the ravages of time.”

Super Olds may have a genetic advantage, but research shows practice good brain health Dr., research director of the Neurodegenerative Diseases Institute in Florida, who was not involved in the research. Richard Isaacson, Alzheimer’s prevention researcher Dr. It may also prevent cognitive decline, according to Richard Isaacson.

“Our work Isaacson found that lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, reducing stress and optimizing sleep, in addition to managing vascular risk factors with certain prescription medications, can enlarge brain regions, including the hippocampus, and reduce hallmarks of Alzheimer’s, such as tau tangles and amyloid plaques,” Isaacson said.

“I was certainly not taught in medical school that it was possible for brain cells to grow, but we have now seen compelling evidence of this in serial MRI scans in people who consistently make brain-healthy choices,” he said.

What is ‘Super Age’?

To become a “Super Older,” a person must be over 80 years old and undergo extensive cognitive testing that evaluates the limits of their ability to remember information, said Emily Rogalski, a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago. In a previous interview with CNN. Rogalski, who was not an author of the study, helped develop the SuperAger program at Northwestern.

“Super Elders are required to have extraordinary episodic memory, the ability to recall daily events and past personal experiences,” he said. “It’s important to note that when we compare Super Elders to average seniors, they have similar IQ levels, so the differences we see are not just due to intelligence.”

Super Olds also share similar characteristics. They tend to be positive and challenge their brains by reading or learning something new every day. Many are physically active and continue to work into their 80s. Super Seniors are also social butterflies surrounded by family and friends and can often be found volunteering in their communities.

But Super Seniors are a mixed bag when it comes to healthy behaviors.

“We have Super Elders who have heart disease and diabetes, who are not physically active, who are not eating any better than their peers of similar age,” Gefen said. “The most significant thing, though, is what we found in the brains donated by the Super Old Ones.”

Analysis of brain tissue found: cingulate cortex, The area responsible for attention, motivation and cognitive engagement is denser in Super Seniors compared to people in their 50s and 60s. The hippocampus of Super Elders also appears to have three times fewer tau tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

Another study Gefen said he found “beautiful, huge, very healthy” neurons in the entorhinal cortex of Super Elders, one of the areas of the brain first affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

“This was an incredible finding because their entorhinal neurons were much younger, some even larger than individuals in their 30s,” he said. “This showed us that there was a structural integrity component involved, such as the architecture, bones and neuron skeleton being more robust.”

Gefen added that the new study sheds light on how this might happen.

“These fatty, watery entorhinal neurons may not only be larger, but they may also be located in this advanced ecosystem in the hippocampus that also feeds immature brain cells,” he said. “They are definitely linked, and this new study may provide a mechanistic understanding of why they might be larger.”

A new way to measure neurogenesis

Past research on how neurogenesis occurs in humans has been unclear, due in part to the type of measurement tools used, Lazarov said. New study published Wednesday magazine Natureused a different technique to measure the birth of new neurons in five types of donor brains: Super Olds; healthy young adults; older adults with no signs of cognitive decline; older adults with early dementia; and older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

The tool, called multiomic single-cell sequencing, allowed researchers to determine which types of brain cells support memory and cognition as the hippocampus ages. The results showed that two types of cells, astrocytes and CA1 neurons, were key drivers of memory preservation in the brains of Super Elders.

CA1 neurons are crucial for memory, helping to consolidate and recall past experiences. “These are among the first brain cells to be attacked by tau in Alzheimer’s disease,” Gefen said.

Astrocytes far outnumber neurons and are vital for regulating blood flow to the brain. These brain cells also promote the formation of synapses, the junction where nerve signals pass from one neuron to another, which is the basis of brain function, learning, and memory.

“In Super Elders, astrocytes and CA1 neurons support the hippocampus in ways we did not previously understand by increasing synapse signaling between neurons,” Gefen said. “Immature neurons, CA1 circuits, and astrocytes all coordinate in a very, very enriched environment.”

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