Super-agers' brains grow more new neurons, preserving memory into old age
TL;DR
A Nature-published study from Northwestern and the University of Illinois Chicago finds that adults 80+ who are labeled 'super-agers' generate about twice as many immature hippocampal neurons as typical older adults, suggesting a genetic/molecular basis for preserved cognition and notable brain plasticity, though the small sample size and brain variability warrant cautious interpretation.
- The science behind the 'super-ager' brain NBC News
- Human hippocampal neurogenesis in adulthood, ageing and Alzheimer’s disease Nature
- Super-Agers’ Brains Have a Special Ability, New Study Suggests The New York Times
- ‘SuperAgers’: Scientists discover a key to staying mentally sharp in old age CNN
- Some 80-year-olds still have razor-sharp brains — and now scientists know why Fox News
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