LOS ANGELES - What if turning 80 didn’t mean losing your memory?

That’s the reality for a rare group of older adults known as SuperAgers—people who remain mentally sharp well into their 80s and beyond. In a newly published paper, Northwestern researchers say these individuals challenge everything we thought we knew about aging and dementia.

Over 25 years, the team has tracked the brains and behaviors of these standout seniors to understand what protects them—and how others might benefit.

Why researchers are studying SuperAgers

The backstory:

The term "SuperAger" was coined by Dr. M. Marsel Mesulam, who founded the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern in the late 1990s. Since then, 290 older adults with exceptional memory have enrolled i

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