SuperAgers defy aging myths

Northwestern Medicine researchers study octogenarians who perform memory tasks like much younger people to uncover brain traits behind exceptional aging.

SuperAgers redefine memory aging

Researchers at Northwestern Medicine have studied a group of 80 plus individuals nicknamed SuperAgers. They maintain memory scores comparable to people decades younger on delayed recall tests and show a thicker cortex and other brain features linked to memory and social behavior. When scanned brains are examined after death, some SuperAgers show Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles, while others do not, suggesting two pathways to exceptional aging: resistance to pathology and resilience in its presence.

The work spans 25 years and will appear in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. It emphasizes that a combination of biology and social factors underpins SuperAging, and points to potential interventions to protect brain health later in life. The program also highlights a Brain Donation Registry that supports long-term discovery beyond a donor’s life.

The findings challenge the idea that cognitive decline is inevitable in old age. By showing distinct neurobiological profiles among SuperAgers, the research invites a broader view of aging as a spectrum rather than a fixed trajectory. Yet the focus on brain donation raises ethical questions about consent and family impact that must be handled with care as science pursues longer horizons of understanding. Social connectivity emerges as a meaningful variable, suggesting that community and relationships may influence brain health as much as biology.

Highlights

Understanding superaging could reshape how we talk about memory and aging