Brain Study Reveals How 'SuperAgers' Have Enlarged Neurons, Enhanced Memories

A brain study that involved the so-called "SuperAgers" recently revealed a set of substantially enlarged neurons linked to memory.

A New Atlas report specified that these neurons also appeared more resistant to traits of Alzheimer's disease and present as an extraordinary biological signature that these subjects may have performed throughout their lives.

SuperAges are people over 80 years old with exceptional episodic memory, at least as good as individuals aged 20 to 30 years old and younger.

Studies on what's making the brains of these SuperAgers different from standard elderly brains have produced some insights in the last couple of years, linked to memory and how they may keep neurological degeneration at bay.

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SuperAger Brains

PET scans have revealed that these brains contained far lower aggregations of toxic brain plaques and tangles linked to Alzheimer's disease. MRI scans have revealed they feature the neural network and connectivity similar to the young adults.

Other research on visual memory has found that their brain activity can be akin to that of a 25-year-old.

Building on this is the new research from Northwestern University, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, focusing on the entorhinal cortex, a brain region accountable for memory and one of the first affected by Alzheimer's.

The team examined six post-mortem SuperAger brains and discovered larger, healthier neurons in one of the six layers that make up this region.

Such neurons were compared to those in seven cognitively average elderly individuals, six young subjects, and five subjects suffering from Alzheimer's and were found to be substantially larger.

Hallmark of Aging and Early Alzheimer's

Neurons in the entorhinal cortex are known for their extreme susceptibility to brain tangles composed of a hallmark of aging and early Alzheimer's called "abnormal tau proteins."

However, according to a similar report from the Verified News Explorer Network report, scientists discovered the SuperAger neurons had substantially fewer of these tangles, which they suspect is associated with their larger size. 

The research team said such findings specify that neurons escaping the onset of tangle formation can better keep their structural integrity, while tau tangles appear to result in neuronal shrinkage.

In this research, Tamar Gefen, the lead author, demonstrates that in Alzheimer's, neuronal shrinkage or atrophy in the entorhinal cortex appears to be a trait marker for the disease.

Biological Signature of SuperAging Trajectory

The study author also explained that the suspect that this process is a function of tau tangle formation in the affected cells that lead to inadequate memory abilities in older age.

Determining this contributing factor and each one is critical to the early identification of Alzheimer's, monitoring its course, not to mention guiding treatment.

The researchers regard these as outcomes of evidence that such larger neurons are a key pillar in the exceptional memory observed in SuperAgers.

From here, they hope to dig further into why such neurons are better maintained in the SuperAgers' brain by examining the cellular environment and underlying reasons for their resilience.

Lastly, the SuperAgers' remarkable observation revealed larger neurons than their younger peers, which may imply that large cells were present from birth and are kept structurally throughout their lives, Gefen explained. The team concluded that larger neurons are a biological signature of the trajectory for SuperAgers.

Related information about SuperAgers is shown on NUFeinbergMed's YouTube video below:

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