Decoding the reason why old people still have super memory

Owning sustainable social relations is one of the factors that helps many elderly still have sharp and sharp intellect.

There are healthy relationships

Researchers have recently discovered a number of basic physical principles that make this difference. They are related to the thickness of the outer layer of the brain of 'super people'. In a study published in October in the journal PLOS One, researchers wondered if this strange ability could also be affected by certain aspects of society.

The team conducted experiments with 31 lucid elderly people in their 80s and 19 people with normal cognitive abilities at their age. Scientists have found that lucid elderly people often have strong relationships and give them more joy than ordinary people of the same age.

Ms. Emily Rogalski - associate professor of cognitive neurology at Y Feinberg School (Northwestern University) and also the lead author of the study, said: " Our findings support the theory: You do not need to turn your life into a party, but maintaining healthy social relationships will slow down the process of cognitive decline. '

To achieve this result, researchers have asked participants to complete a questionnaire that evaluates their overall happiness and satisfaction in their lives. Although there are a total score of friends of the same age, the 'older people with transcendental memory ' stand out in that they have a different assessment of friendship with others.

Why are old people still lucid?(Photo: Val Vesa).

Mrs. Rogalski said: " It is not so simple that you just have to say you have a great network of friends that you will not have dementia when you get old. But if in a list of good jobs Long-term health such as having a healthy diet, not smoking . - owning strong social relationships is an extremely important option on this list. '

The brain is different from ordinary people

Thanks to many previous studies, scientists know that the brains of older people are physically - physically - different from normal elderly people of the same age. They are slightly larger, especially in the outer cortex - the part of the brain made up primarily of gray matter and contains many neurons.

However, until a few months ago, scientists still did not know where this difference came from. Is it because the brain has grown bigger at birth or has it been protected from the devastating wear of time?

The group of scientists has taken magnetic resonance imaging to compare the brains of 24 grandparents, the "superman" woman with 12 elderly people of the same age. During the 18-month study period, the average brain size of elderly people shrank twice as much as the brains of lucid older people.

These two new discoveries answered the question of the sharp clarity of the elderly. They also provide compelling evidence that age and social relationships can have a profound effect on the human brain.

To remember well when you get old?

As we begin to age, the gray matter in the brain (taking on the look, hearing, handling emotions, self-control, learning new information and more) starts to shrink and decline. The same thing happens with white matter - a substance that contains complex twisted strands to transport information across parts of the brain.

A small study in 2014, published in Nature Communications shows that in some older people, white matter can act as a backup 'generator'. They begin to engage in intellectual play when the gray matter reserves are depleted. If that does not happen, we will have to endure the typical manifestations of the aging process: the memory is vague, it is harder to concentrate, it is difficult to learn new skills.

Super old people and geniuses with abundant amounts of white matter are extremely rare. But according to some studies, ordinary people like us can also deal with cognitive decline in old age by: exercising regularly, maintaining close relationships with friends and family. ; quit smoking, learn new things and constantly challenge the mind.

So, if you intend to meet some old friends or want to take a yoga course, what are you waiting for?