The secret of the “SuperAger” revealed – healing practice

This special feature keeps the brain fit into old age

Some people are over 80 mentally fit than others who are 20 to 30 years younger. In the English-speaking world, these people are called SuperAgers appointed. Today, a research team has been able to unlock the secret of these elderly people, whose brains remain powerful even in old age.

researchers of Northwestern University in Chicago (USA) found that the brains of older people with strong cognition clearly bigger neurons in the region of the brain responsible for Memory responsible for. The results were recently published in the “Journal of Neuroscience” present.

SuperAgers exhibit unique brain signatures

SuperAgers are people who are over 80 and still over a year old extraordinary memory characteristic. The Northwestern University research group has now shown that the brains of these mentally capable older people have a unique signature.

Bigger neurons kept the brain fit

All SuperAgers Whose Brains Were Examined After Death Had Larger, Healthier Neurons, Study Finds entorhinal cortex – a region of the brain important for memory. Additionally, this region was largely free of SuperAgers tufts of dewassociated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The team compared the SuperAger brains to those of seniors the same age, to those 20 to 30 years younger, and to the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

“The remarkable observation that SuperAgers had even larger neurons than younger humans may indicate that large cells were present from birth and their structure is maintained throughout life.”concludes the lead author of the study Tamar Gefen.

According to her, larger neurons in the brain could indicate from birth that a person mentally adjusting to old age remains.

Protection against memory impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

In addition, larger neurons appear a Resistance to Alzheimer’s disease to offer. According to the working group, the brain’s entorhinal cortex controls memory. In Alzheimer’s disease, this region is particularly affected.

New insights into the development of Alzheimer’s disease

According to the study, for reasons still unknown, deposits of tau proteins first accumulate in the entorhinal cortex during normal aging and particularly in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

“In this study, we show that in Alzheimer’s disease, shrinkage of neurons (atrophy) in the entorhinal cortex appears to be a hallmark of the disease.”emphasizes Gefen.

The working group therefore suspects that the formation of tau deposits is linked to the shrinkage of neurons in the entorhinal cortex, which ultimately leads to poorer memory performance.

A new approach to preventing Alzheimer’s disease

In future studies, the research team hopes to better understand how and why neuronal integrity is preserved in SuperAgers. The scientists involved hope that the biological properties discovered will help Prevention or treatment of Alzheimer’s disease let use. (vb)