You may know the type: Over 80, involved in a million things, social, physically active, avid reader and crossword completer, Jeopardy whiz \u2013 yet still feels restless.<\/p>\n
The scientific term for this person is SuperAger, someone in their 80s or older who has the cognitive function of those decades younger. If you haven\u2019t heard the word yet, expect that to change because SuperAgers are swiftly shifting the perception of what growing older could look like.<\/p>\n
Scientists are studying why these people stay cognitively healthy while others with similar backgrounds and brain pathology don\u2019t. In one study, researchers at Northwestern University\u2019s Feinberg School of Medicine looked at brain MRI scans of super-agers 80 and above and compared them to the scans of cognitively typical 80-year-olds as well as those of younger adults. They found that the rate of brain shrinkage in super-agers is much slower than in typical 80-somethings. They also found that the anterior cingulate, an area in the brain that supports attention, was thicker in the super-agers\u2019 brains (similar to brain imaging of people in their 50s and 60s).<\/p>\n
4 Steps to SuperAging<\/strong><\/p>\n Longevity researchers say it\u2019s normal for brain power to decline as we age, but it\u2019s not inevitable. So, if you\u2019re looking to be a SuperAger, here are some of the common habits exhibited by these cognitive superheroes:<\/p>\n\n