Overview

• SuperAgers are defined as adults 80 and older whose memory matches individuals 20–30 years younger, drawn from a 25-year Northwestern cohort of roughly 290 participants with about 79 donated brains analyzed postmortem.
• The study formalizes two routes to preserved cognition: resistance, marked by reduced amyloid and tau buildup, and resilience, where individuals tolerate those pathologies without cognitive decline.
• Brains of SuperAgers exhibit less cortical thinning alongside higher densities of von Economo neurons and enlarged entorhinal neurons linked to social cognition and memory function.
• Strong social engagement and healthy habits—such as balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep—correlate with SuperAgers’ cognitive resilience, though causality remains unproven.
• Investigators caution that the predominantly well-educated, White and self-selected cohort limits broad applicability and urge more diverse studies before translating these biomarkers into clinical interventions.