{"id":3778,"date":"2022-10-17T14:26:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T14:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/?p=3778"},"modified":"2022-10-17T14:26:22","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T14:26:22","slug":"what-sets-super-agers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-sets-super-agers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons\/","title":{"rendered":"What sets &#8216;SuperAgers&#8217; apart? Their unusually large neurons."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/post.medicalnewstoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/elderly-female-chair-1296x728-header-1024x576.jpg?w=1155&amp;h=2268\" alt=\"older person sitting on armchair smiling, hand cupping their right ear\"\/><figcaption>New research suggests that what makes \u2018SuperAgers\u2019 unique are their large neurons. Image credit: Lauren Mulligan\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Researchers autopsied 24 brains, including six from people known as \u201cSuperAgers.\u201d<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>They found that SuperAgers had larger neurons than people almost 60 years their junior.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>They noted that further research is needed to understand how larger neurons are linked to preserved memory capacity in SuperAgers.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Memory capacity typically declines with age. Around&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC1123445\/\" target=\"_blank\">40%Trusted Source<\/a>&nbsp;of people aged 65 years and older have age-associated memory impairment, and approximately 1% of these cases progress into dementia each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4135532\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SuperAgersTrusted Source<\/a>\u201d is a term commonly used to refer to individuals aged 80 years and older who score similarly to individuals aged 20-30 years younger in memory tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Further study into how SuperAgers maintain their memory capacity could help researchers develop preventative strategies and treatments for cognitive decline.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recently, researchers autopsied the brains of 24 individuals, including six characterized as \u201ccognitive SuperAgers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They found that SuperAgers\u2019 neurons were larger than those aged 20\u201330 years younger and that their neurons did not have&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease\" target=\"_blank\">tau tanglesTrusted Source<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014 a hallmark of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor reasons that remain unknown, cell populations in the [brain\u2019s]&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/psychology\/entorhinal-cortex\" target=\"_blank\">entorhinal cortex<\/a>&nbsp;(ERC) are selectively vulnerable to \u2018tau tangle\u2019 formation during normal aging and in early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s Disease,\u201d&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.feinberg.northwestern.edu\/faculty-profiles\/az\/profile.html?xid=40785\" target=\"_blank\">Dr. Tamar Gefen<\/a>, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and one of the study authors, told&nbsp;<em>Medical News Today<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn this study, we show that neuronal shrinkage (atrophy) in the ERC appears to be a characteristic marker of [Alzheimer\u2019s disease]. We suspect this process is a function of \u2018tau tangle\u2019 formation in the affected cells, [and that it leads] to poor memory abilities in older age. Identifying this contributing factor is crucial for the early identification of Alzheimer\u2019s, monitoring its course, and guiding treatment,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study appears in the&nbsp;<em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jneurosci.org\/content\/early\/2022\/09\/26\/JNEUROSCI.0679-22.2022\" target=\"_blank\">Journal of Neuroscience<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a>What the study did<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the study, the researchers autopsied the brains of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>six SuperAgers with an average age of 91 years<\/li><li>seven \u201ccognitively average\u201d elderly people with an average age of 89 years<\/li><li>six healthy younger adults aged between 26 and 61 years<\/li><li>five adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at an average age of 92 years.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time of death, all participants could perform daily living activities, and all were free from clinical evidence or history of neurological or psychiatric conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers noted no difference in years of education, brain weight, or postmortem interval between the groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also tested for&nbsp;<em>ApoE<\/em>&nbsp;genotypes using DNA from patient blood samples. Among the participants, only one person from the MCI group had the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/8712790\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>APOE<\/em>-4 alleleTrusted Source<\/a>, a risk factor for Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers assessed a cross-sectional layer of neurons from layers II, III, and V of participants\u2019 ERC. The ERC comprises six neuronal layers and is among the first areas to develop signs of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In particular, they assessed overall neuronal health and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), also known as tau proteins that, when collected inside neurons, cause neuronal dysfunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In the end, the researchers found that layer II ERC neurons were significantly larger in SuperAgers than other groups, including younger controls, some of whom were 60 years their junior.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They further found that those in the \u201ccognitively average\u201d group of older individuals had over twice the NFT density of SuperAgers in layer II of the ERC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a>What makes SuperAgers unique?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked why SuperAgers\u2019 neurons may be larger than those of their peers,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/clinicalbioethics.georgetown.edu\/jgiordano\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dr. James Giordano<\/a>, professor of neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington told&nbsp;<em>MNT<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cIt\u2019s possible that these represent mega neurons, which may have a genetic predisposition and\/ or an environmentally acquired tendency to increase size so as to enable greater intra- and inter-cellular information processing. In this way, these neurons may have mechanisms that fortify both their functionality and their resistance or resilience to metabolic stress and degradation.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe increased size of these neurons may reflect a greater extent or diversity of intracellular functions, including a greater network of cellular machinery that enables detoxification, reduced susceptibility to inflammation, and enhanced stability of metabolic activity in and across a variety of micro- and macroenvironmental conditions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Gefen noted: \u201cOne possibility for the greater size is that these neurons are protected from neurofibrillary tangles \u2014 a hallmark of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. We are not yet sure why these neurons were larger in SuperAgers or why they are relatively protected from disease.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers wrote that this protection comes despite other age-related brain changes present in SuperAgers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also wrote that their findings suggest that increased NFT levels lead to neuronal shrinkage. They noted that this observation was particularly apparent in the MCI group, which had a significantly lower cell size than other groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They further explained that larger layer II ERC neurons among SuperAgers than their young peers might indicate that large ERC cells were present from birth and structurally maintained throughout life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFuture in-depth studies are needed to understand how and why neuronal integrity is preserved in SuperAgers. I am interested in probing the cellular environment, for example \u2014 what are the chemical, metabolic, or genetic features of these cells that render them resilient?\u201d added Dr. Gefen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will also want to investigate other\u2019 \u2018hub\u2019 along the memory circuit of the brain to better understand the spread of- or resistance to- disease,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The researchers concluded that SuperAgers carry a unique biological signature comprised of larger, healthier ERC neurons that are relatively void of tau tangles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a>Study limitations<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about the study\u2019s limitations, Dr. Gefen noted that their results are limited by their small sample size. She indicated that their small sample size was partially due to SuperAgers being \u201cunique and rare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>She continued: \u201cPerhaps a most important message is that to understand brain disease, it is critical that we learn about human biology (both normal and abnormal) in life \u2014 and in death. Our SuperAgers commit to donating their autopsied brains to research. I have the fortunate opportunity to know my patients and research participants intimately in life and in death.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Giordano noted that the study has opened the door to further study of the function of these \u201cunique neurons\u201d \u2014 \u201cboth alone and in concert with other cells, nodes, and networks of the brain, and body as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnother important question [for future investigation] is why and how some people develop these super-sized cells while others do not. Taken together, such studies can provide improved insights to SuperAgers\u2019 cognitive functionality and relative resistance and\/ or resilience to neurodegenerative diseases. In these ways, we may identify and develop new interventions that could potentially maintain cognitive function across the lifespan,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Annie Shahzaib<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Edited By<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maria Cohut Ph.D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2Fwhat-sets-superagers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_campaign%3Dsocial-sharebar-referred-desktop\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=mnt&amp;text=%27SuperAgers%27%20have%20larger%20neurons%20than%20people%2030%E2%80%9360%20years%20younger&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2Fwhat-sets-superagers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter%26utm_campaign%3Dsocial-sharebar-referred-desktop\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/post.medicalnewstoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/04\/Annie-Lennon-500x500-Bio2.png?w=105&amp;h=105\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/authors\/annie-lennon\">Annie Lennon<\/a>&nbsp;on October 8, 2022&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;Fact checked&nbsp;by&nbsp;Anna Guildford, Ph.D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latest news<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/weighted-blankets-may-help-melatonin-release-and-boost-sleep\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/weighted-blankets-may-help-melatonin-release-and-boost-sleep\">Can we rewrite fearful memories to treat anxiety?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/what-sets-superagers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/what-sets-superagers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons\">Weighted blankets may help melatonin release and boost sleep<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/omega-3-may-boost-brain-health-for-people-in-midlife-study\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/omega-3-may-boost-brain-health-for-people-in-midlife-study\">What sets &#8216;SuperAgers&#8217; apart? 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They noted that further research is needed to understand how larger neurons are linked to preserved memory capacity in SuperAgers. Memory capacity typically declines with age. Around&nbsp;40%Trusted Source&nbsp;of people aged<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link\">\n\t\t\t\t <a href=\"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-sets-super-agers-apart-their-unusually-large-neurons\/\" class=\"theme-btn theme-btn-line hvr-bounce-to-right\">Read more<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[276,754,755,756],"tags":[277,157,757,758],"class_list":["post-3778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aging","category-alzheimers-2","category-dementia","category-neurology","tag-aging","tag-brain","tag-dementia","tag-neuroscience"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3778"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3789,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3778\/revisions\/3789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitadelphia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}