Superagers' Brains Grow Twice as Many New Neurons

Your brain can grow new cells in your 80s, and some people are doing it twice as well as everyone else.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Washington studied donated brain samples from people across different age groups and cognitive abilities. They discovered something remarkable: "superagers," people in their 80s with unusually sharp memories, were producing twice as many new neurons as other healthy older adults.

For decades, scientists debated whether adult brains could generate new neurons at all. This study, published in Nature, confirms that our brains continue building fresh neurons throughout life in the hippocampus, the brain's memory center.

The research team examined brain samples from five groups: healthy young adults, healthy older adults, superagers, people with early dementia, and Alzheimer's patients. They looked for three stages of developing neurons: stem cells, neuroblasts (adolescent cells), and immature neurons ready to become fully functional.

The differences were striking. Superagers showed robust neuron growth at all three stages. People with preclinical cognitive decline, before symptoms even appeared, had minimal new neuron formation. Alzheimer's patients generated almost none.

"Something in their brains enables them to maintain a superior memory," said Dr. Orly Lazarov, who leads the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Training Program at UIC. "I believe hippocampal neurogenesis is the secret ingredient, and the data support that."

The researchers also found that these new neurons had different epigenetic signatures depending on brain health. Think of these signatures as blueprints that determine how neurons respond to environmental changes.

Why This Inspires

This discovery flips the script on aging brains. For years, many assumed cognitive decline was inevitable, that our brains were fixed and destined to deteriorate.

"What's exciting for the public is that this study shows the aging brain is not fixed or doomed to decline," said Ahmed Disouky, the study's first author. Understanding how some people naturally maintain neurogenesis could help researchers develop strategies to preserve memory and cognitive function as more adults age.

The team plans to investigate which lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and inflammation might support neurogenesis. Dr. Jalees Rehman, who co-led the research, emphasized that as life expectancy increases, preserving cognitive health becomes crucial for quality of life.

The path to helping more brains age like superagers has never looked clearer.