Scientists are studying people over 80 whose memories are just as good as someone in their 50s. What sets these 'SuperAgers' apart? Usually the older you get... the harder it is to remember some things... And we know a little bit about what goes wrong in the aging brain. But is this inevitable? Everyone knows that one old person who is 90 but acts like they're still young. But HOW? For answers, scientists are looking at people known as SuperAgers and checkin' out their brains. Before this term was coined by Neurologust Dr. Marsel Mesulam, researchers had been focused on so called 'successful agers.' But what does that mean? It's not specific! Successful aging could mean you're physically fit or just have a positive outlook - the meaning was so broad it was hard to quantify and compare research. Now researchers are being more specific-- SuperAgers are people older than 80 with memories just as good as someone in their 50s or 60s. But we need to know: what makes their brains different? Were they bigger to start with? Did they shrink but just not as fast? Or did they actually get bigger over time? Do genetics factor in? What about personality? Usually as humans age brains atrophy or shrink. But researchers found the cortices of superager brains are not as thin as expected. And most surprising, one part is thicker. Source
