A new study by Northwestern Medicine showed that SuperAgers are cognitive against the development of fibrous tangles in a memory-related brain area and are known to be symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The tangles are made of the tau protein that forms structures that carry nutrients within the cell cloud. These connections disrupt the cell’s transport system, blocking communication within the neuron and preventing nutrients from performing their specific function within the cell. The end result of tangle formation is cell death.
“The results suggest that resistance to age-related tau degeneration in the cortex may be one feature that contributes to preserved memory in SuperAgers,” said lead study author Tamar Gefen, senior assistant professor of mental and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
“SuperAgers,” a term coined by the Northwestern Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, is a specialty over the age of 80 that exhibits exceptional memory ability at a level consistent with individuals 20 to 20 years old. 30 years younger. At the Center, SuperAgers are evaluated annually and may choose to donate their brains for post-mortem evaluation by Northwestern scientists.
This study measured the level of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles containing tau in a part of the brain that is highly dependent on memory, known as the entorhinal cortex, in seven SuperAgers compared with six individuals. age-conscious half. The results showed significantly fewer connections in the entorhinal cortex of SuperAgers than those at mentally healthy controls with near-triple difference.
This finding helps us to better identify the factors that may contribute to memory retention in old age. This research indicated that there are levels of vulnerability to cell death in the brain. “
Tamar Gefen, Study L.ead A.uthor and Associate Professor of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
“People with severe memory impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease showed nearly 100 times more tangles in the entorhinal cortex compared to SuperAgers,” Gefen said. “There is a strong relationship between tau-tangles and memory loss, and these decisions in a particular SuperAging cohort could lead research in a new way.”
The study, “Paucity of Entorhinal Cortex Pathology of the Alzheimer’s Type in SuperAgers with Superior Memory Performance”, was published in Cerebral cortex on 17 February.
The basic features of Alzheimer’s disease are amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles containing tau found in the human brain at the time of death after autopsy. While these plaques and streaks are usually found in the brains of those with memory impairment, they are also found in healthy-conscious adults but in more limited circulation.
Because advanced age is usually associated with decreased memory abilities and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the Center studies SuperAgers to gain a better understanding of what’s going right in their brains. .
The study also found that there were no significant differences in amyloid plaque density in SuperAgers compared to consciously healthy seniors.
“Many researchers have long believed that amyloid plaques are causes of memory loss, which is not what we found,” Gefen said.
Gefen wants to study genetic and environmental / lifestyle interactions, and their overall impact, on the cell level in the post-mortem brain of SuperAgers.
“Why are memory cells vulnerable to tangles in the first place?” she asked. “What about the cellular environment in SuperAgers ‘brains that seems to protect them from collisions? Does SuperAgers’ behavior somehow build resistance in the brain?”
“To address these questions, we can study the molecular, biochemical, and genetic components of these specific memory cells, in SuperAgers, which are typically targeted by Alzheimer’s. And, to certainly, we need to take their personal statements (histories, affirmations, behaviors, cultures) into account when making decisions about their specific neuroanatomic profiles. “