Scientists publish findings from 25-year study of 'super-agers'

The results could uncover new ways to delay or prevent dementia

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After 25 years of research, scientists at Northwestern University, in the US, have discovered why some adults live well into their 80s and beyond with near-perfect cognition. The memory of these 'super-agers', as the researchers call them, is as good as that of adults in their 50s and 60s.

Since 2000, scientists have studied 290 super-agers and autopsied 77 of their brains to understand what makes them so resistant to cognitive decline.

They discovered personality traits that are more common in super-agers compared to the general population. These individuals tend to be highly social and report having strong interpersonal relationships.