Why some people stay mentally sharp at 100
Resilience and Resistance Phenotypes
This project compares cognitively healthy centenarians, their adult children, and spouse controls to find biological and lifestyle signs that help protect against Alzheimer's and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11190870 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as a potential participant, researchers are enrolling nearly 500 cognitively intact people aged 100+, about 600 of their adult children, and 120 spouse controls to learn why some people remain sharp at extreme ages. They will combine brain MRI scans with blood and other biomarker tests collected over time to look for mismatches between brain changes and thinking skills. When available, the study will also compare cognitive history with brain tissue findings after death to look for resistance to Alzheimer's pathology. The team uses these multiple angles to identify patterns of resilience that might point to protective biology or helpful lifestyle factors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are cognitively healthy centenarians, their adult offspring (with or without cognitive impairment), and spouse controls without parental longevity.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's, those without links to the centenarian cohorts, or those unable to travel for scans and visits may not receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal protective factors or biomarkers that lead to new prevention strategies or targets to keep people cognitively healthy longer.
How similar studies have performed: Prior 'superager' and centenarian studies have suggested biological and lifestyle differences linked to preserved cognition, but this large, integrated study combining MRI, longitudinal biomarkers, and neuropathology is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bookheimer, Susan Y — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Bookheimer, Susan Y
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.