What helps some older adults keep exceptional memory
Study to Uncover Pathways to Exceptional Cognitive Resilience in Aging (SUPERAging)
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · NIH-11381495
Researchers will study people age 80 and older who have unusually strong memory, comparing their health, lifestyle, brain scans, genetics, and tissue samples with peers to learn what protects thinking skills as we age.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CHICAGO, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11381495 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would join a multicenter effort that enrolls people 80+ with exceptional memory (called SuperAgers) and similar-age comparison volunteers. Participants will complete memory and thinking tests, health and lifestyle questionnaires, brain imaging, and give blood and other biospecimens, and some may agree to brain donation for neuropathology. Five sites across the United States and Canada aim to enroll about 500 participants total, with central teams coordinating data, imaging, and laboratory work. The goal is to combine clinical, genetic, imaging, and tissue information to find biological and environmental patterns linked to preserved memory.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults age 80 or older with unusually strong memory for their age, as well as similarly aged individuals with average cognition who can serve as comparison volunteers.
Not a fit: People younger than the target age range or those with advanced dementia or unstable medical conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could point to biological targets or lifestyle strategies that help prevent memory decline in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller prior SuperAging studies have found promising brain and biological differences in exceptional agers, and this larger consortium aims to confirm and expand those findings.
Where this research is happening
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO — CHICAGO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ROGALSKI, EMILY J — UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- Study coordinator: ROGALSKI, EMILY J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's disease biological marker