Very sharp memory function in older adults tied to faster movement and better mental health

People in their eighties who can recall everyday events and life experiences as well as someone 20 to 30 years younger-known as superagers-are also more likely to have greater movement speed than typical older adults. They also have lower rates of anxiety and depression, according to a new study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal.

Superagers and typical older adults were discovered within an ongoing project designed to help identify early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease. Of the Vallecas Project cohort’s 1,213 participants, recruited between 2011 and 2014, 64 superagers and 55 typical older adults, performing well on several cognitive tasks but not displaying superager memory ability, were identified and included in the new study.

Using the machine learning computer model, the authors found faster movement speed and better mental health were the factors most often associated with superargers.

Superagers performed better in the Timed Up and Go Test – which gauges people’s mobility – and a finger tapping test that measures fine motor function, indicating they have better mobility, agility, and balance than do typical older adults. This observation was made despite no differences in self-reported exercise levels between superagers and typical older adults.

In clinical tests to measure levels of anxiety and depression1

Reference: Brain structure and phenotypic profile of superagers compared with age-matched older adults: a longitudinal analysis from the Vallecas Project, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(23)00079-X/fulltext