Looking at Differences in Aging Brains

New research has revealed that there is something different about people over 80 years old who have cognitive levels of those that are typically seen from people in their 50s. These individuals tend to be an exception, but they are indicators that memory doesn’t need to decline as people get older.

 

Northwestern University refers to these individuals as “SuperAgers.” Their brains are structurally young, resembling the brains of individuals that are healthy and 30 years younger than they are. This particular study has been ongoing for about 25 years and has revealed quite a bit of information. The biggest of these findings is that there are shared personality and lifestyle traits among the so-called SuperAgers. 

 

There are two big traits that all of the SuperAgers studied shared. One was resistance. The amyloid plaques and tangles that are ubiquitous with Alzheimer’s were largely absent from the brains of the SuperAger category. The second observation was that those SuperAgers that did have amyloid plaques within their brain structure weren’t impacted negatively by them.

 

 

Another finding was that these SuperAgers tend to have active social lives. One common thing that tends to happen as people age is that their social lives deteriorate. Oftentimes, this is not done intentionally. My grandmother, in the final five years of her life, did not have much of a social life until she moved into assisted living. She insisted on staying home because “all of her friends were dead.” This was something that she often repeated as an excuse, but it was also true. The people that she associated with had passed away. One of the difficulties of longevity is that isolation is a naturally occurring phenomenon. SuperAgers make a conscious effort to form new connections.

 

The team hopes that this research will enable doctors to pinpoint things that can be done to improve the quality of life that all seniors experience–not just the SuperAgers. Some of the differences are certainly biological in nature, but as noted above, not all of them.

 

The goal of this research is to help a wider population of people avoid, delay, and/or minimize the impact of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia within their lives. By identifying the factors that help some people to avoid dementia, researchers hope that they can extend these benefits to more people, ultimately helping them to live a higher quality of life as they age.

 

The Northwestern University team published their findings in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. Hopefully, this research continues to inspire and help future projects so that doctors can ultimately provide a more effective course of treatment for seniors in the future.

 

It’s important to help your older loved ones. The right care service can go a long way toward helping you accomplish this. The right care will vary from situation to situation. What works for one person might not be ideal for another. We’d like to help you get connected to the right one. We can help you start with a free consultation.

 

If you have questions about care, we’re here for you. Call today to talk more.