Super-ager brains produce twice as many new neurons, study finds

Researchers report that people labeled super-agers (age 80+) had about twice as many immature neurons in the hippocampus compared with typical older adults, based on analysis of 38 post-mortem brains published in Nature; the authors note a small sample and variability among human samples.

Researchers report new post-mortem findings about people known as super-agers. The team at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago examined hippocampal tissue and published results in the journal Nature. Super-agers are defined as people aged 80 or older who score on memory tests like someone decades younger. The study compared 38 brains across five groups, including six donated by Northwestern's SuperAging Program. Key findings: - Super-agers had about twice as many immature (new) neurons in the hippocampus’s dentate gyrus compared with healthy older adults. - Compared with people with Alzheimer's disease, super-agers had about two and a half times as many immature neurons. - The analysis used 38 brains from five groups: adults 40 and younger, healthy older adults, people in early stages of cognitive decline, people with Alzheimer's, and six super-agers. - Researchers reported changes in astrocytes and CA1 neurons that may relate to memory and cognition in the aging hippocampus. - The authors noted limitations, including the small sample size and typical variability among human brain samples. Summary: The study identifies a genetic difference tied to higher neurogenesis in super-agers and adds evidence that adult human brains can generate new neurons as a function of age and cognitive status. Undetermined at this time.