{"id":19016,"date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=19016"},"modified":"2022-11-09T11:13:02","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T10:13:02","slug":"super-sized-neurons-in-the-area-of-the-brain-responsible-for-memory-keep-super-agers-sharp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/2022\/11\/08\/super-sized-neurons-in-the-area-of-the-brain-responsible-for-memory-keep-super-agers-sharp\/","title":{"rendered":"Super-sized neurons in the area of the brain responsible for memory keep super-agers sharp"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SUPER-SIZED NEURONS IN THE AREA OF THE BRAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR MEMORY KEEP SUPER-AGERS SHARP<\/h2>\n\n

Some of us stay mentally sharp well into our 80s and it could be due to the size of our brain cells <\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Super-agers have long puzzled scientists. Despite being in their 70s and 80s, they have the physical ability and cognitive function of people much younger. Now, researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois may have discovered one of the reasons super-agers are able to stay so mentally sharp: the neurons in their entorhinal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for storing memories, are much larger than those of their cognitively average peers. <\/p>\n\n

Furthermore, these neurons show no sign of tau tangles, the abnormal accumulations of protein that collect inside neurons and limit the communication between them, which are a tell-tale sign of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cTo understand how and why people may be resistant to developing Alzheimer\u2019s disease, it\u2019s important to closely investigate the postmortem brains of super-agers,\u201d said lead researcher Tamar Gefen, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Northwestern University. \u201cBy learning what makes super-agers\u2019 brains unique, it may be possible to harness these biological traits to help elderly people stave off Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n

To make the discovery, the researchers examined the brains of six super-agers, seven cognitively average elderly individuals, six young individuals and five individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to closely investigate the postmortem brains of super-agers\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

\u201cThe remarkable observation that super-agers showed larger neurons than their younger peers may imply that large cells were present from birth and are maintained structurally throughout their lives. We conclude that larger neurons are a biological signature of the super-ageing trajectory.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The researchers concentrated their studies on the entorhinal cortex as it\u2019s one of the first locations to be affected by Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The entorhinal cortex is made up of six layers of neurons stacked on top of one another, and the second of these layers is known to be a particularly important hub that receives information from other memory centres in the brain. <\/p>\n\n

The neurons that form this second layer were found to be bigger in super-agers than in all of the other groups in the study, even those who were 20 to 30 years younger. They were also found to be free from tau tangles. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIn this study, we show that in Alzheimer\u2019s disease, neuronal shrinkage [atrophy] in the entorhinal cortex appears to be a characteristic marker of the disease,\u201d Gefen said. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe suspect this process is a function of tau tangle formation in the affected cells leading to poor memory abilities in older age. Identifying this contributing factor \u2013 and every contributing factor \u2013 is crucial to the early identification of Alzheimer\u2019s, monitoring its course and guiding treatment.\u201d The researchers are now planning further studies to try and figure out why super-agers have such large neurons. <\/p>\n\n

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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