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What's happening inside an 80-year-old brain?

In the wake of last week’s presidential debate between the 78- and 81-year-old candidates—and the impression among some that President Joe Biden looked “old and frail” with at least one public call for cognitive testing—much of America has had age on the brain.

Is an 80-Year-Old Brain Fit for the Presidency

After Joe Biden was sworn in as the oldest president in American history in 2021, at age 78, questions swirled about whether there should be an upper age limit for the executive office. Now that we’re doing a different kind of math – Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term, and his presumptive rival, Donald Trump, would be 82 – the question has become starker: can someone in their 80s really have the mental dexterity and cognitive fortitude that the office requires?

UChicago receives $13.2 million grant to test digital dementia intervention | UChicago Medicine

Emily Rogalski, PhD, the Rosalind Franklin PhD Professor of Neurology at the University of Chicago, is one of two multiple principal investigators (MPIs) awarded a grant from National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance the Communication Bridge Research Program for primary progressive aphasia (PPA).

Unlocking the secrets of 'SuperAgers' | Western Alumni Magazine

A pioneering study at Western is set to explore Canadian individuals in their 80s, 90s and beyond who retain remarkable cognitive capacities — those known as ‘SuperAgers’

Study finds more clues as to why 'SuperAgers' have better brains | CNN

In the largest observational study to date on “SuperAgers” — people in their 80s who have brains as sharp as those 30 years younger — researchers in Spain found key differences in lifestyle that may contribute to these older adults’ razor-sharp minds.

Inside the Mind of Super Agers | AARP

Some people in their 80s and 90s show shockingly little decline in their brainpower. Scientists are beginning to understand what makes them different and how the rest of us might benefit.

The University of Chicago Welcomes Dr. Emily Rogalski | The University of Chicago Department of Neurology

Headed by leading neurologist Emily Rogalski, PhD, the new University of Chicago Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Research Care (HAARC) Center will focus on building deep multidiscplinary expertise and bridging the gap between scienetific disciplines to accelerate breakthroughs in cognitive resilience.

At 109, education pioneer Edith Renfrow reflects on 'The greatest century we have seen' | WGNTV

Edith Renfrow Smith is about to turn 109 years old, and as she sits down in a leather chair in the dining room at a senior home, she’s ready to talk about everything, just don’t ask her how she’s feeling.

Unlocking the secrets of SuperAgers |Michigan Today

SuperAgeres are showing us it’s possible to enjoy quality cognition as we age.

What We Can Learn from SuperAgers | BottomLineInc

Why do so many older people experience age-related memory loss? Why do so many develop dementia? Researchers have devoted tremendous amounts of times and money to study of cognitive decline over the years… but far less attention is paid to the flip side of these questions – why do some older people not experience age-related memory loss or dementia?