Nature, February 2026 | Ahmed Disouky et al., University of Illinois Chicago
Some adults in their 80s retain memory performance that matches people three decades younger. A study published in Nature in February 2026 helps to explain why. Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois Chicago analyzed nearly 356,000 cell nuclei from post-mortem brain tissue, comparing so-called superagers with typical older adults, Alzheimer’s patients, and younger healthy adults.
Superager hippocampi, the brain region most closely tied to memory, were producing more than twice as many new neurons as those of typical older adults. Their supporting cells and core memory neurons also showed distinct gene expression patterns associated with stronger cognitive function.
The finding overturns a long-standing assumption that adult neurogenesis fades to near-zero in later life. “This is biological proof that their brains are more plastic, and a real discovery that shows that neurogenesis of young neurons in the hippocampus may be a contributing factor,” said Tamar Gefen, one of the researchers who worked on the study.
The study does not establish which lifestyle choices contribute to this kind of brain preservation. But researchers pointed to behaviors that recur in cognitive-aging literature: managing chronic disease, getting proper nutrition, staying physically active, and keeping the mind engaged.
