SuperAger (exceptional cognition in the elderly)
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Introduction
SuperAgers are humans > 80 years who show exceptional episodic memory.
- superior memory capacity of SuperAgers isconsistent with individuals 20-30 years younger.[4]
- the SuperAgers Initiative led by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Boston University School of Medicine aims to understand exceptional longevity[7]
Pathology
- cerebral cortical atrophy occurs slower in elderly >= 80 years of age with preserved episodic memory[3]
- slower gray matter atrophy over time[6]
- longevity with unimpaired cognition into old age is associated with resistance to development of neurofibrillary tangles & senile plaques
- normal aging is associated with isolated neurofibrillary tangles[1]
- resistance to age-related neurofibrillary degeneration in the entorhinal cortex may contribute to preserved memory in SuperAgers.[2]
- SuperAgers show entorhinal cortex layer II neurons substantially larger compared to individuals 20-30 years younger suggesting entorhinal cortex layer II is a biological substrate of exceptional memory in old age[4].
Genetics
- a region on chromosome 6q24 is linked to exceptional episodic memory in the elderly[5]
Laboratory
- no difference in apoE genotype
- no difference in amyloid-beta42/amyloid-beta40 in plasma
- no difference in total tau in plasma, ptau181 in plasma or GFAP in plasma[6]
Radiology
- MRI neuroimaging
- superagers have more gray matter volume in the medial temporal lobe, cholinergic forebrain, & motor thalamus than other older adults[6]
- superagers have larger hippocampal volume, thicker anterior cingulate cortex than other older adults[6]
Management
More general terms
Additional terms
- cognitive impairment in the elderly
- cognitive resilience
- prevention of Alzheimer's disease/dementia
- prevention of cognitive impairment
- subjective memory problems in the elderly
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hoenig MC, Willscheid N, Bischof GN et al Assessment of Tau Tangles and Amyloid-beta Plaques Among Super Agers Using PET Imaging. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(12):e2028337. Dec 11 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33306113 Free article https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2774071
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gefen T, Kawles A, Makowski-Woidan B et al Paucity of Entorhinal Cortex Pathology of the Alzheimer's Type in SuperAgers with Superior Memory Performance. Cerebral Cortex. 2021. Feb 17 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33592091 https://academic.oup.com/cercor/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cercor/bhaa409/6137893
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Samuelson K Next step in Alzheimer's research: Brain shrinkage rates. SuperAger brains shrink more slowly than peers' brains. Northwestern Now. April 04, 2017 https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2017/april/alzheimers-research-superagers-brain-shrinkage/
Cook AH, Sridhar J, Ohm D et al Rates of Cortical Atrophy in Adults 80 Years and Older With Superior vs Average Episodic Memory JAMA. 2017;317(13):1373-1375 <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28384819 <Internet> http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2614177 - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Nassif C, Kawles A, Ayala I et al Integrity of neuronal size in the entorhinal cortex is a biologic substrate of exceptional cognitive aging. J Neurosci. 2022. Sept 26. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36180225 https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2022/09/26/JNEUROSCI.0679-22.2022
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Barral S et al. Common genetic variants on 6q24 associated with exceptional episodic memory performance in the elderly. JAMA Neurol 2014 Oct 13 <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25317765 <Internet> http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1915580
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 George J Why Do Superagers Have Sharper Memory? Study untangles characteristics linked with better brains in 80-year-olds. MedPage Today July 14, 2023 https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/dementia/105495
Eckert N Which Factors Distinguish Superagers From the Rest of Us? Medscape. August 15, 2023 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/995516
Garo-Pascual M et al Brain structure and phenotypic profile of superagers compared with age-matched older adults: a longitudinal analysis from the Vallecas Project. The Lancet Healthy Longevity. 2023. July 13 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37454673 Free article https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(23)00079-X/fulltext
Touroutoglou A, Wong B, Andreano JM What is so super about ageing? The Lancet Healthy Longevity. 2023. July 13 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(23)00103-4/fulltext - ↑ 7.0 7.1 American Federation for Aging Research (afar) SuperAgers Initiave https://www.afar.org/superagers/
afar SuperAgers Family Study Join the SuperAgers Family Study https://www.superagersstudy.org/