What 'super-agers' have to teach us about how our brains age

While none of us can become super-agers if we are not already, there are plenty of lifestyle factors that have an impact on the aging process

Dr Sabina Brennan says ‘we need to try new things for our brains to become better at focusing and remembering’ and the new task should be challenging. Picture: Lorraine Teevan

Super-agers have brains that don’t decline as fast cognitively. These people maintain their memory into their 80s and don’t become forgetful and confused. Scientists are beginning to understand how.

In a new study published in Nature, researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine analysed hippocampal brain samples from deceased donors ranging from adults in their 20s to ‘super agers’ or people aged 80 and over whose memory test scores matched or exceeded those of people in their 50s and 60s.