Alzheimer’s, who are older, 80 with memory of those aged 50-60 and why they are being studied

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed

Among those over the age of 80, there are some who boast of memory performance compared to that of people under the age of 20-30. They are the so-called “high earners,” a term coined by American researchers. But what is the secret of these elderly people with memory above average? To find out, several years ago researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago conducted a a program The research aims to understand what protects their cells from aging cerebral and to combat degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Requirements to be a “SuperAger”

“The SuperAging Program helps us identify the protection factors that contribute to great performance memory late in life, including genetic, lifestyle, and cerebral factors,” the researchers reported on a page dedicated to “recruiting” elderly people with super-memory. To be a “super-giant,” an individual must be over 80 years old and have a short lifespan. and long–long-term memory compared to people in their 50s and 60s, a trait that has been tested through extensive cognitive testing.Only about 10 percent of people who apply to the program meet these criteria, said cognitive neuroscientist Emily Rogalski, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine. Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine, who developed the project.
He stressed that the “super-orbs” must have exceptional episodic memory — the ability to recall everyday events and past personal experiences — and perform at least average on other cognitive tests.” The study, for annual brain scans and cognitive tests.An analysis of data over the years has yielded impressive results so far.

Some results appeared

Carol Siegler, 85, of Chicago is one of the most studied SuperAgers. He goes to the gym several days a week, and he has one day off memory Cast iron, volunteers, solve crossword puzzles and read books every day. He also has a very active social life, but he still says he gets bored. “I feel like a sports car used as a supermarket cart,” she said. CNN.
By studying his brain and the brain of other elderly people, scientists have found that their cortex, which is responsible for thinking, decision-making and memory, remains thicker and shrinks more slowly than the brain of people in their fifties and sixties.
“Cells in the entorhinal cortex, which is the primary area for memory and learning and the first area of ​​the brain to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease, are also larger and healthier,” said Tamar Geffen, one of the Northwestern University researchers. Over the course of the study program, it was also found in the SuperAger’s brains that there were three times less neurofibrillary tangles than tau protein, the abnormal protein formations responsible for cognitive aging.