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Youthful memory capacity in old brains: anatomic and genetic clues from the Northwestern SuperAging Project
Rogalski EJ, Gefen T, Shi J, Samimi M, Bigio E, Weintraub S, Geula C, Mesulam MM.. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 2013-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Plain-language summary
The Northwestern University SuperAging Project recruits community dwellers over the age of 80 who have unusually high performance on tests of episodic memory. In a previous report, a small cohort of SuperAgers was found to have higher cortical thickness on structural MRI than a group of age-matched but cognitively average peers. SuperAgers also displayed a patch of ACC where cortical thickness was higher than in 50- to 60-year-old younger cognitively healthy adults. In additional analyses, some SuperAgers had unusually low densities of age-related Alzheimer pathology and unusually high numbers of von Economo neurons in the anterior cingulate gyrus. SuperAgers were also found to have a lower frequency of the ɛ4 allele of apolipoprotein E than the general population. These preliminary results show that above-average memory capacity can be encountered in advanced age. They also offer clues to potential biological factors that may promote resistance to age-related involutional changes in the structure and function of the brain.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Moderate
This preliminary study of people over 80 with unusually high memory performance found some had higher cortical thickness, low levels of age-related Alzheimer pathology, and a lower frequency of the apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele. It is early observational work offering clues about possible factors promoting resistance to age-related brain changes, not a treatment, cure, or prevention.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Rogalski, E. J., Gefen, T., Shi, J., Samimi, M., Bigio, E., Weintraub, S., et al. (2013). Youthful memory capacity in old brains: anatomic and genetic clues from the Northwestern SuperAging Project. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00300
Vancouver
Rogalski EJ, Gefen T, Shi J, Samimi M, Bigio E, Weintraub S, et al. Youthful memory capacity in old brains: anatomic and genetic clues from the Northwestern SuperAging Project. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. 2013. doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00300. PMID: 23198888.
BibTeX
@article{rogalski2013-23198888,
author = {Rogalski, E. J. and Gefen, T. and Shi, J. and Samimi, M. and Bigio, E. and Weintraub, S. and Geula, C. and Mesulam, M. M.},
title = {{Youthful memory capacity in old brains: anatomic and genetic clues from the Northwestern SuperAging Project}},
journal = {Journal of cognitive neuroscience},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1162/jocn_a_00300},
pmid = {23198888},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00300}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- These preliminary results show that above-average memory capacity can be encountered in advanced age.
Why it matters
This preliminary study of people over 80 with unusually high memory performance found some had higher cortical thickness, low levels of age-related Alzheimer pathology, and a lower frequency of the apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele. It is early observational work offering clues about possible factors promoting resistance to age-related brain changes, not a treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of cognitive neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience: journal h-index 305 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 199 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.3 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 61 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author M-Marsel Mesulam: h-index 15 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Northwestern University: institution h-index 1,592 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23198888) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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