A certain number of people of deeply advanced age retain an amazing sharpness of mind. And now scientists have found out how they do it.
Old age, unfortunately, is accompanied by the extinction of all body functions, including muscle strength and intelligence. However, in some people over the age of 80, it can be so acute that it amazes even scientists. Tests show that the sharpness of intellectual functions in such pensioners is comparable to what can be observed in people decades younger. True, there are not very many of these people, but they are there.
And now a study has shown that the owners of excellent intelligence in old age simply have larger neurons associated with memory. Their size is much larger than that of their peers, who do not differ in sharp intelligence. It’s even bigger than people 30 years younger. Even more importantly, there were no tau proteins found in these large cells, which are called one of the key markers of senile dementia.
However, the study did not show how to achieve an increase in these neurons. Is it possible to do this by solving crosswords or learning foreign languages in middle and old age, or is the amazing ability to maintain the sharpness of intelligence in old age simply explained by good genetics.
