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Why are some people still so fit when they get older? To answer this question, US researchers examined brains – and found that neurogenesis plays a crucial role.
But why is that? Scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Northwestern University in Chicago and the University of Washington have examined the secret of these people in a study. The result, which they published in the specialist magazine “Nature“ explain: They form more new neurons than their fellow humans.
Neurons are brain cells that support almost every human function. For example, when we snap our finger, a neuron sends a signal to the nervous system. Over the course of life, new neurons can continually emerge in the hippocampus – the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning. This process is called Neurogenesis.
Researchers examined brains of dead people
As part of the study, scientists examined tissue samples from the brains of recently deceased people. They made their brains available for research. The samples came from five groups:
Neurogenesis: New brain cells are created
The scientists used the tissue samples to look for three developmental stages of neurons in the brain’s hippocampus:
- Stem cells that can potentially develop into neurons
- Neuroblasts, so to speak, young stem cells that are on the way to forming neurons
- and immature neurons that are on the verge of becoming functional
“Imagine the stages of neurogenesis in adults like a baby, a toddler and a teenager,” Orly Lazarov, a professor at UIC and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training Program, explained in a Press release his university. “All of these are signs that the hippocampi are producing new neurons.”
“Super agers” have a “secret factor”
The researchers ultimately found that new brain cells are formed in the hippocampus in healthy adults. The amazing thing: “Super Agers” actively produced more new neurons than healthy older adults – their characteristic “sign of resilience,” as the press release puts it. In previous memory tests they had performed at least as well as or even better than healthy 50 to 59 year olds.
“Superagers had twice the neurogenesis of other healthy older adults,” Lazarov said. “Something in their brains allows them to retain superior memory. I believe that the creation of new brain cells is the secret factor, and the data supports this belief.”
Brain samples from people with mild or early dementia again showed minimal neurogenesis. Those affected by Alzheimer’s produced almost no new brain cells at all.
“Not condemned to cognitive decline”
Given the Super Ager results, lead author Ahmed Disouky emphasized in the press release: “What’s exciting for the general public is that this study shows that the aging brain is not immutable or doomed to cognitive decline.”
Understanding how some people continue to produce new brain cells even as they age could benefit cognitive therapies, says Disouky. Lazarov also spoke of “great progress”. “Finding out why some brains age more healthily than others can help researchers develop treatments for healthy aging, cognitive resilience, and the prevention of Alzheimer’s and dementia.”
In the next step, the scientists want to examine environmental and lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and inflammation to discuss their influence on brain aging.
Tips to stay mentally fit
In order to stay mentally sharp even as you get older, neurophysiologist Gerd Wirtz recommends certain measures. These include:
- maintain social contacts
- be physically active
- learn a new language or instrument
The 5-minute walking training or the balancing challenge can also benefit the brain. What it’s all about find out in this article.
