Summary: Some people in their 80s preserve memories and thinking skills on par with those decades younger. A major new study identifies a likely reason: sustained adult neurogenesis. Researchers report that these so-called “superagers” show substantially greater growth of new neurons in the hippocampus than their peers, while people with Alzheimer’s disease show almost none.
Although the generation of new brain cells typically slows with age, the study found that superagers produce new hippocampal neurons at roughly double the rate of typical healthy older adults. By contrast, brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease exhibited negligible neurogenesis, pointing to a biological “resilience signature” that helps preserve memory and cognition during aging.
Key Facts
- Neural renewal in aging: Superagers generate new neurons in the hippocampus—the region central to memory—at about twice the rate seen in standard healthy older adults.
- Adult neurogenesis confirmed: The research supports that humans continue to make new neurons into late adulthood, including in their 80s and 90s.
- Three developmental stages tracked: Scientists identified neural stem cells, neuroblasts (immature progenitors), and immature neurons—comparable to “babies, toddlers, and teenagers” of the cell world—to confirm active neurogenesis.
- Alzheimer’s contrast: Brains from people with Alzheimer’s or early dementia showed little to no new neuron formation, linking impaired neurogenesis with cognitive decline.
- Epigenetic differences: New neurons in superagers display distinct epigenetic profiles, suggesting their cells are better programmed to adapt to stress and environmental changes.
Source: University of Illinois
Brains of older adults with exceptionally preserved cognition produce more new neurons than those of their peers, according to collaborative research from the University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Washington.
The team examined donated hippocampal tissue and found that superagers—individuals in their 80s with unusually sharp memory—had the most neuron production, while samples from people with Alzheimer’s disease showed almost no new cell growth.
“This is a major advance in understanding how the human brain forms memories and how cognition changes with age,” said Orly Lazarov, professor at UIC’s College of Medicine and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training Program. “Identifying why some brains remain healthier can guide the development of therapies that promote cognitive resilience and help prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”
Neurons underlie nearly every mental and physical action—from moving a finger to forming a memory. Late in the 20th century, researchers discovered that new neurons can arise in the hippocampus throughout life, a process called adult neurogenesis. Early evidence came from animal studies, then primate research connected continued neurogenesis with stronger memory function and healthier brain aging.
The new study, published in Nature, extends these findings to humans. Investigators analyzed post-mortem hippocampal tissue from five donor groups: healthy young adults, typical healthy older adults, superagers (age 80+ with exceptional memory), adults with preclinical signs of cognitive decline, and people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Samples designated as superager tissue came from donors aged 80 or older with demonstrably high memory performance; those samples were provided by Northwestern University. The University of Washington supplied the remaining specimens. Researchers searched the hippocampus for three markers of developing neurons: neural stem cells capable of producing new neurons, neuroblasts that are migrating toward maturation, and immature neurons approaching functionality.
“Think of these stages as baby, toddler, and teenager,” Lazarov explained. “Their presence indicates ongoing neurogenesis in the hippocampus.”
The data confirmed active hippocampal neurogenesis in healthy adult brains. Superager samples showed a clear resilience signature—higher abundance of developing neurons and distinct molecular features. Quantitatively, superagers demonstrated about twice the neurogenesis of other healthy older adults.
Tissue from individuals with preclinical cognitive changes showed reduced neurogenesis, while samples from diagnosed Alzheimer’s cases generated nearly no new neurons. Beyond cell counts, the researchers found that the new neurons in superagers carried unique epigenetic signatures—patterns of chromatin accessibility and gene regulation that likely support a more adaptive cellular response to environmental and physiological stressors.
“With longer life expectancy worldwide, ensuring high quality of life—including preserved cognition—has become imperative,” said co-lead author Jalees Rehman, head of biochemistry and molecular genetics at UIC. He added that mapping the molecular and epigenetic landscape of neurogenesis may point to targeted treatments to preserve memory in aging.
Next steps for the team include studying how lifestyle and environmental factors—diet, exercise, inflammation and other influences—interact with neurogenesis and the observed resilience signature. First author Ahmed Disouky highlighted that the study demonstrates the aging brain is not predetermined to decline and that understanding natural maintenance of neurogenesis could suggest strategies to help more people preserve cognitive health.
Additional UIC coauthors include Mark Sanborn, K. R. Sabitha, Mark Maienschein-Cline and Mostafa Mostafa from the College of Medicine. Brain and tissue samples were sourced from multiple brain banks and research programs, including the University of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Adult Changes in Thought study, the Pacific Northwest Brain Donor Network, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Northwestern University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the SuperAging Research Initiative, and philanthropic brain health funds.
Funding: The research was supported by awards from the National Institute on Aging (AG033570, AG033570-S2, AG076940, AGO79002, AG060238, AG061628 and AG091545).
Key Questions Answered:
A: A superager is someone aged 80 or older whose memory and cognitive performance resemble those of people decades younger. This study shows that superagers’ brains actively produce new hippocampal neurons, giving them a biological advantage rather than mere luck.
A: Genetics contribute, but the study’s finding of distinct epigenetic signatures suggests that lifestyle factors—such as nutrition, physical activity and inflammation control—may influence neurogenesis. Ongoing research aims to identify actionable interventions that could promote resilience.
A: No. The study indicates the aging brain can remain plastic and capable of generating new neurons. Understanding how to preserve or stimulate neurogenesis may offer paths to prevent or delay cognitive decline linked to Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by staff.
About this neurogenesis and aging research news
Author: Francesca Sacco
Source: University of Illinois
Contact: Francesca Sacco – University of Illinois
Image: Image credit to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Human hippocampal neurogenesis in adulthood, ageing and Alzheimer’s disease — Ahmed Disouky et al., Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s441586-026-10169-4. The paper reports single-nucleus multiomic sequencing of hippocampal samples to characterize neural stem cells, neuroblasts and immature granule neurons across cognitive health states.
Abstract
Human hippocampal neurogenesis in adulthood, ageing and Alzheimer’s disease
The existence and functional relevance of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in humans have been debated. Recent work has shown proliferating progenitors and immature neurons in the hippocampus, with reductions observed in Alzheimer’s disease. Yet the origin and regulatory molecular networks of these cells are not fully defined.
This study analyzed post-mortem human hippocampi from cohorts representing young adults with intact memory, older adults without cognitive impairment, older adults with exceptional memory (SuperAgers), adults with preclinical pathology, and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Using large-scale single-nucleus RNA sequencing and single-nucleus assays of chromatin accessibility, the authors profiled over 350,000 nuclei and identified neural stem cells, neuroblasts and immature granule neurons.
Dysregulated neurogenesis associated with altered chromatin accessibility was evident in samples from preclinical and clinical Alzheimer’s disease. SuperAgers displayed a distinct neurogenic profile that may represent a molecular “resilience signature.” Additional changes in astrocytes and CA1 neurons correlated with cognitive status in the aging hippocampus. Collectively, the multiomic data define a hippocampal molecular signature separating cognitive resilience from decline during aging.