Exceptional Memory in SuperAgers Linked to New Brain Cell Formation
Most of us experience some decline in memory and learning abilities as we age. However, certain older adults—known as Cognitive SuperAgers—can remember past events better than people 25 to 30 years younger. Recent research has linked this exceptional recall and memory to the ability to create new brain cells.
Study Overview
An NIH-funded research team analyzed more than 350,000 individual brain cells from younger and older adults, including Cognitive SuperAgers. These SuperAgers are individuals aged 80 and above whose memory test scores match or exceed those of people in their 50s and 60s. The cells were obtained from donated postmortem brains, and the researchers specifically looked for newly formed brain cells.
Key Findings
- SuperAgers’ brain cells had a unique molecular make-up compared to other groups.
- They exhibited a higher number of newly created brain cells.
- Certain cellular processes in SuperAgers’ brains were better maintained. These processes are important for:
- Communication between brain cells.
- Cell survival.
Significance
“Determining why some brains age more healthily than others can help researchers make therapeutics that will boost memory in aging and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” says Dr. Orly Lazarov at the University of Illinois, Chicago, who co-led the study.
Study Citation
Disouky A, Sanborn MA, Sabitha KR, Mostafa MM, Ayala IA, Bennett DA, Lu Y, Zhou Y, Keene CD, Weintraub S, Gefen T, Mesulam MM, Geula C, Maienschein-Cline M, Rehman J, Lazarov O. Human hippocampal neurogenesis in adulthood, ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Nature. 2026 Feb 25. doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10169-4. PMID: 41741649.
NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); McKnight Brain Research Foundation.
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