Superagers
People in their 80s with much younger brains
Superagers are adults in their 70s and 80s whose memory performance matches that of people decades younger. Brain imaging shows they retain unusually thick cortex in regions linked to attention and motivation, and lose less brain volume per year than typical agers. The pattern isn't explained by sheltered lives or unusual genetics. It seems to depend on what they do, and on how much they're willing to keep doing it.
At Northwestern's SuperAging Research Program, octogenarians have outperformed adults in their 50s and 60s on memory tests. Many had survived hard lives: immigration, war, illness. What they shared wasn't ease but a refusal to settle into it. They kept reading hard books, kept arguing with friends about politics, kept saying yes to things that felt like a stretch. The most consistent finding across 25 years of research is that they tolerate mental discomfort better than their peers, and they tend to be unusually social.
Related Science Card
Keep training to unlock
Superagers