This is the personality trait shared by “super-agers” over 80: It helps them preserve their mental sharpness

Science has uncovered a new personality trait that may help us reach the oldest ages possible—so-called “superagers,” people over 80—in a more active way. According to an article published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, researchers at Northwestern University reveal what they’ve learned over the past 25 years studying older adults and analyzing postmortem brains.

The new article shows that the brains of older adults share certain features that could help preserve cognitive function. And although there is still much to understand about whether lifestyle choices play a role, the researchers observed one personality trait that all superagers seem to share: they are highly sociable.

No particular lifestyle was conducive to superaging. Some superagers seemed to follow every conceivable recommendation for a healthy life. But others ate poorly, enjoyed smoking and drinking, avoided exercise, experienced stressful life events, and didn’t sleep well.

Superagers also didn’t appear to be medically healthier than their peers, as shown by similar medication regimens in the neurotypical and superager groups studied. But the superagers were particularly sociable and enjoyed extracurricular activities.

Compared to their cognitively similar peers of the same age, they rated their relationships with others more positively. Similarly, in a personality trait questionnaire, they tended to score high on extraversion. Some superagers showed remarkable stability in cognitive performance over time; others declined, but overall remained within the “average” range for their age.

Although there has been a physical trait observed, the most striking finding was the identification of an anterior cingulate region in which superagers had greater cortical thickness in the brain—even compared to neurotypical participants aged 50 to 60. This finding has since been confirmed in other studies.

During the first 25 years of Northwestern University’s SuperAging Program, “we showed that it is possible to identify groups of persons who clinically seem to have avoided the memory decline of average aging and who display biological markers that separate them from average agers. These superagers maintain good brain morphology, tend to be gregarious, appear resistant to neurofibrillary degeneration and resilient to its consequences, have a more robust cholinergic system, carry more von Economo neurons, and have less inflammatory microglial activity in the white matter,” state the study authors Sandra Weintraub, Tamar Gefen, Changiz Geula, and M.‑Marsel Mesulam.

“Their memory is simply exceptional, even compared to their peers. These people live life on their own terms,” whether volunteering, having romantic partners, traveling, reading… The study notes that these neurons have been found in emotional and social animals like great apes, elephants, and cetaceans such as whales and dolphins. Animals “with strong connections tend to survive and be smarter than their peers. It’s like herd culture,” says Tamar Gefen.

There’s a detail that may seem minor now, like tenacity, but if you frame it as motivation, it takes on a new context. In the study, having a thicker anterior cingulate gyrus also suggests that older adults are more tenacious. This is a region “traditionally not associated with memory, but with motivation,” says Alexandra Touroutoglou, assistant professor of neurology who also studies superagers at Harvard University. “This could indicate that older adults may be more willing to exert effort in the face of challenges.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.