New Report: Why Some 80-Year-Olds Have Miracle Brains

While the rest of us fight the daily struggle to remember where we put our phones, some octogenarians are out here holding the key to cognitive gold. Turning science on its head, The New York Times reported a bombshell finding on Wednesday (Feb. 25) that may prove old brains can make new neurons. The finding follows a paper published in the journal Nature that examines the controversial process of neurogenesis. This area challenges the idea that people are either born with all their neurons or generate them during childhood.

People called “super-agers” show some 80 year olds have the brain of people decades younger —at least when it comes to their memory. The Times reported that these people have the memory capacity of people in their 50s, twice as many neurons as people their age with “normal brains” and 2.5 times as many neurons as people with Alzheimer’s disease, which impacts thinking, emotion and memory.

This discovery is especially important for Black Americans, who are more likely to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that over 21 percent of Black Americans aged 70 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. In 2023, there were more than 5 million older Black Americans, and the Administration for Community Living expects this number to rise 57 percent by 2040.

If you haven’t thought about biology in a while, your brain has about 100 billion tiny neurons, or nerve cells. These cells send chemical and electrical signals throughout your brain, helping you move, feel and remember.

“This paper shows biological proof that the aging brain is plastic,” even into a person’s 80s, Tamar Gefen, an associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a study contributor, was quoted as saying, according to The New York Times.

How did scientists figure this out? Lead researcher Orly Lazarov, a neuroscience professor at UIC College of Medicine, and her team started by studying the brains of young adults who had died with normal brain function. They searched for three cell types (stem cells, neuroblasts, and immature neurons) that, together, signal that the brain is still making new neurons. Next, they examined the brains of older adults, including those with average memory, people with Alzheimer’s and super-agers.

All groups had some signs of new brain cell growth, but the super-agers stood out: they had even more immature neurons than the young adults. These special cells also carried unique traits that might help protect the brain from aging.

Gefen said, “Super-aging happens not only because there’s more of these young cells, but because there is a type of genetic programming” that helps keep these cells around. Another neuroscientist pointed out that super-agers also have other brain features, such as stronger connections between different brain areas.

In another twist, the brains of people with Alzheimer’s had more neural stem cells than those of other older adults, but far fewer of these cells were maturing. Dr. Hongjun Song, a neuroscientist not involved in the study, told The Times this could mean Alzheimer’s may “turn off” stem cells.

While not all experts agree that adults can generate new brain neurons, Dr. Lazarov wants to know if the research can help create a drug that allows others to tap into the super-ager brain, according to The Times.

Despite having higher rates of Alzheimer’s, Black Americans are still significantly underrepresented in clinical trials, especially for Alzheimer’s disease, where only 5 percent of participants are Black.