The Young Mind Of Super Parents

Have you ever heard of the young mind of super parents? These older people, whose memory is quite intact, seem to keep the secret behind cognitive aging. Read on to find out more about it. 
The young mind of super parents

The young mind of super parents belongs to a group of people who retain their young mind and have a higher performance than other people their age. As you may already know, the cognitive skills of humans begin to deteriorate as one gets older. 

Therefore, the ability to reason, remember, and the speed of processing, which reaches their maximum performance in adulthood, deteriorates as one gets older.

This term describes those who are 80 years or older whose memory is as good as those who are 25 or 30 years younger. Of course, this has aroused great interest among the scientific community.

Especially when they noticed that these people further led an active lifestyle and showed no signs of exhaustion. Therefore, there is a likelihood that these people may even have a different genetic makeup.

Older couple cycling

The young minds of super parents make them special

In general, super seniors are certainly special. This is because  they have more skills than what is normal for their age. In this regard, there are some experts who divide them into two categories: Physical super parents and cognitive super parents.

Those in the first group have an amazing aerobic capacity. The latter group has an excellent memory when compared to younger adults.

Likewise, it is more or less clear that both groups are more resilient when confronted with the adversity of life. Researchers have even studied whether their personal characteristics involve being more extroverted and less neurotic.

This will mean that they handle challenges differently. Maybe they even lean towards activities that promote their brain capacity. It can be in the form of physical activity or other forms of stimulating activities.

It is not clear why some older people have these characteristics. What is clear is that researchers around the world are trying to find out more about it in order to help adults who do not have them. In fact, they have already gotten good results according to what sets them apart. That is, why they have achieved such a cognition.

A different brain

Researchers have primarily focused on studying the young minds of super parents. One of the findings they have made is related to beta-amyloid protein. This protein is naturally present in the brain and it often clumps together in plaque. It is crucial when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease.

They have noticed a greater presence of beta-amyloid and even plaque in the brain of super elderly people. However, their cognitive and memory capacities were intact despite this.

Furthermore, it seems that these “super parents” have more von Economo neurons than their peers. These neurons are a special type of cells that apparently serve to meet the demands of a larger brain in development. Through their development, they became the center of emotion, sensitivity, and emotional intelligence.

Researchers have found several neurons of this kind in three brain regions in super parents.

  • Frontoinsular cortex.
  • Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
  • The frontal lobe (this is thicker in super elderly people and it is related to executive functions, empathy and communication).
Older people having fun over smartphone

Social aspect

One would expect these people to also behave differently in social environments if one takes into account the brain characteristics that differentiate them. In fact, a study from the University of Chicago compared a group of super-parents with a group of peers who recalled them according to personality, well-being, and memory.

They observed similar levels of well-being in both groups. However, super parents scored higher on the scale of positive-negative quality in relationships. In other words , they had a greater satisfaction and quality according to their relationships. 

This finding fits with the greater development of von Economo neurons and the frontal lobe. The establishment of this is crucial in the preservation of a person’s mind.

Furthermore, it supports a large field of study that has confirmed that social activities and positive interactions are very beneficial for cognitive health. Not only because of the importance of social support, but because the whole brain is activated and some cognitive skills are enhanced when people interact with each other.

So how can people keep their young minds and become super older? It is not clear yet. In fact, genetic differences have been observed in this youth group. Taking into account their characteristics, nature and research again remind you that the secret to being healthy is to be physically, mentally and socially active.

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