Superagers: The Superheros of Science

From deficiency in making new long term memories, anterograde amnesia as well as progressive decline in cognition, Alzheimer’s is the “sixth leading cause of death in the U.S”. Over 5 million individuals have been diagnosed and has “increased by 68 percent between 2000 and 2010”. Scientists argue that a huge reason for the rapid increase is due to the increase in life expectancy. Although, there seems to be no way to prevent or even cure the epidemic currently, many studies demonstrate that age is still the greatest factor of developing Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that upon diagnosis, a patient has anywhere between 6 to 10 years to live. Thus, it has become very important to understand the onset of Alzheimer’s. But, at what age exactly is an individual most susceptible to develop Alzheimer’s? In order to answer this question, researchers are trying to understand the physiological signs correlated with Alzheimer’s.

Robert Morrison spoke at Loyola University Chicago about the research his fellow colleagues and him are conducting to measure biomarkers of Alzheimer’s patients in order to allow detection of the disease early on. Alzheimer’s patients demonstrate increased concentrations of plaques as well as neurofibrillary tangles. Yet, these biomarkers are also present in the brains of non-Alzheimer’s patients. Thus, his study decided to test individuals on the opposite end of the spectrum, superagers.

Superagers are individuals above the age of 65
who have little to no brain degeneration. In retrospect, they exhibit mental capabilities of a thirty year old. When the biomarkers of these individuals were observed, there were larger differences. Not only did the superagers lack concentrations of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles but, exhibited oversized brain cells.Although the function of these neurons remains unclear, they are helping individuals maintain long-term goals and remain focus despite their growing age. Are superagers the new superheros of science? Only with time will we be able to tell. 

Works Cited

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/03/19/174651566/alzheimers-epidemic-now-a-deadlier-threat-to-elderly

SlideShow from class

Images:

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