Why Some Old People Act Half Their Age: It's in the Brain

Scientists are studying people over 80 whose memories are just as good as someone in their 50s. What sets these 'SuperAgers' apart?


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Umbilical Cord Plasma Could Help Preserve Memory in Aging Populations
"A protein found in high levels in umbilical cord plasma may hold a secret to improving memory and mental activity among aging populations, according to new research. A team of neuroscientists at Stanford University found that injecting old mice with human umbilical cord plasma significantly improved their memory and testing performance."

Life-Extending Discovery Renews Debate Over Aging as a 'Disease'
"David Sinclair has been reverse-engineering the aging process for two decades. As the co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, Sinclair and his colleagues have identified several key enzymes and interactions inside cells that cause them to "lose their identity" over time, making our bodies more susceptible to diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia. But what if aging itself is the real disease?"

Morphometric and Histologic Substrates of Cingulate Integrity in Elders with Exceptional Memory Capacity
"This human study is based on an established cohort of "SuperAgers," 80+-year-old individuals with episodic memory function at a level equal to, or better than, individuals 20-30 years younger. A preliminary investigation using structural brain imaging revealed a region of anterior cingulate cortex that was thicker in SuperAgers compared with healthy 50- to 65-year-olds. Here, we investigated the in vivo structural features of cingulate cortex in a larger sample of SuperAgers and conducted a histologic analysis of this region in postmortem specimens."

The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Abilities
"Scientific evidence based on neuroimaging approaches over the last decade has demonstrated the efficacy of physical activity improving cognitive health across the human lifespan. Aerobic fitness spares age-related loss of brain tissue during aging, and enhances functional aspects of higher order regions involved in the control of cognition."

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Seeker inspires us to see the world through the lens of science and evokes a sense of curiosity, optimism and adventure.









Special thanks to Sapna Parikh for hosting and writing this episode of Seeker!

[pinkpeonygirl]

My mom had me when she was 38, I had my daughter at 33 and she has worked hard her whole life, still does. At 82 she still drives my daughter to school every day and goes shopping with me. I believe staying active and surrounding yourself with young(er) people really helps.

[scienceaddict]

My grandfather is most definitely a super ager. He'll be 97 this year, and still just as "with it" as my parents.

[AbudBakri]

Now I have excuse for acting my shoe size and not my age.

[Bat_Punk]

my g-ma is 92 years old and can recall just about anything that happened in her life. She's super just surviving this crazy world for the past 92 years!!

[ShawnRavenfire]

My grandmother's mind was very sharp her whole life.  She attributed it to the fact that she was always reading and learning.

[marthinuskotze]

I think my step father might be a supper ager. He's in his early 70s but he's more active than my 50year old uncles. He still works as the head of a small construction firm and he still helps out here and there on construction sites.

[frozeneternity]

My Gran dad lived to be 94 and was going on his daily walks until just before he died. He was also super social, talking to all the other old folks in the town and playing checkers with them. So I guess there is something to exercising your body and mind

[anonymousnearseattle]

Excellent!  I'll just continue being a software developer (and do physical exercise too) until I die, and my memory will stay sharp to the end!

[thedenier]

My neighbor's in his 80s, still chops his own wood, mind works life runs in his family.

[xoFoCuSox]

This is key research right here everyone.

[valencia]

You should make a video explaining why you changed to seeker!

[Lexyvil]

Interesting video. This made me want to study neurology more. For those with potential alzheimer's disease, I wonder if the reason they don't show symptoms is because they have more synapses, making it harder for them to forget. Does that make a difference?

[Viatoreptil]

Oh my god - I had that same exact toy whale when I was a kid! I especially remember how those little yellow bumps lost its color.

[Javiermn]

oo my grandpa was a superager! Man was bright till the end! RIP G-pa <3

[jamesfra]

Looks like my memories is acting up on me, For a long time i thought this channel is called Dnews!

[network_king]

Looks like my theory is starting to get some proof. I work in I.T and the way it changes you're always learning something new, and some things aren't exactly the most user-friendly or simple to comprehend. This made me think you're always learning something new or dealing with something new. If you keep learning maybe it will slow/ stop Alzheimer's, etc.
I kind of think it would be cool to set a world record world's oldest I.T person and working on computers until I'm like 80.

Now if there was just a fix for your eyes from looking at monitors, etc most of the day =)

[PepinsSpot]

My grandma!! 96 y/o and can correct you on what you ate for breakfast!

[ninjaUsee]

Sorry but this doesn't explain how my 80+ grandmother acts half her age and compare her outfits/jewelery and makeup with me and my sibling (20 and 15 yr olds) and act as if she's in a competition with us?

[rollzolo]

Keep learning and stay away from negative people

[apowers]

I guess I'm gonna be watching more Seeker.