Research Index entry · Study
SuperAgers’ brains held more young nerve cells
- Evidence
- People · brain donors
- Source
- nature.com
- Added
- 28 October 2026
What it is
SuperAgers are people over 80 whose memory matches people decades younger. In donated brains, a University of Illinois Chicago team found roughly twice as many young nerve cells in their hippocampus, the region that forms memories, as in typical older adults.
Where it stands
Only 6 SuperAgers were studied, so the difference could still be chance.
Update timeline
What changed
Newest first. Only changes to the subject itself appear here: new information, or something proven wrong.
- WatchingThe Scouts look again every Friday
Only new information or a correction shows up here, not another mention of the same thing.
- No changes yet
Nothing new or corrected since this entry was added.
Research connections
Why these belong together
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Study · Institutions
Super agers are less likely to carry APOE4Another study of the same rare group: their genes.
People · geneticsPodcast · News and radio
Some people’s brains resist Alzheimer’s disease and dementiaThe podcast is about the program behind these brain donations.
Explainer