by Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Researchers may have uncovered a key reason some people remain sharp as a tack into their 80s and 90s: Their brains resist the buildup of certain proteins that mark Alzheimer’s disease.

The study focused on what scientists have dubbed “super agers” — a select group of older folks who have the memory performance of people decades younger.

Compared with older people who had average brain power, super agers showed far less evidence of “tau tangles” in their brains, the researchers found.

Tau is a protein that, in healthy brain cells, helps stabilize the internal structure. But abnormal versions of tau — ones that cling to other tau proteins — can develop as well.

In people with Alzheimer’s, the brain is marked by a large accumulation of those tau tangles, as well as “plaques,” which are clumps of another protein called amyloid.

For years, amyloid plaques have gotten most of the attention as a potential target for Alzheimer’s treatment, said researcher Tamar Gefen, who led the new study.

But a body of evidence tells a different story: It’s the buildup of tau — not amyloid — that correlates with a decline in memory and thinking skills, said Gefen, an assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago.

These latest findings on super agers, she said, are in line with that research.

It’s not clear how many super agers are out there. One reason is that there’s no single definition of the term, said Claire Sexton, director of scientific programs and initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association.

This study involved people aged 80 and older. But other research, Sexton said, has narrowed the focus to unusually sharp 90-somethings, or even centenarians.

The million-dollar question is: What does it take to be a member of this elite group?

It’s likely super agers have genetics to thank, in part, according to Sexton.

But in all probability, she said, it’s a mix of good genes, lifestyle factors and exposures over a lifetime, from physical activity, to social engagement, to mentally stimulating experiences.

In fact, previous research at Northwestern has shown those are common habits of super agers.

Gefen and her colleagues have also found brain differences between super agers and their peers with typical brain power: For example, super agers have more tissue volume in a brain region involved in processes like motivation and decision-making. Super agers also show a greater density of cells called Von Economo neurons, which are linked to social intelligence.

For the current study, Gefen’s team analyzed brain tissue from seven super agers — all women — who had died in their 80s or 90s. The results were compared with brain studies from six elderly adults who’d had normal thinking skills before their deaths.

The super agers had all taken standard memory tests, and scored at or above the norm for people 20 to 30 years younger.

The researchers found that both super agers and their peers harbored similar amounts of amyloid plaque in the brain.

They differed, however, when it came to tangles: People with average memory and thinking skills had three times the amount of tau tangles in a memory-related brain region called the entorhinal cortex.

Sexton agreed the findings align with other evidence on the importance of tau.

“It’s been understood for a while that tau tracks better with cognitive performance than amyloid does,” she said.

These findings, Sexton said, suggest a role for tau in the “secrets” to super-aging.

That does not mean plaques are unimportant, however. Abnormal amyloid and tau may interact with each other, and with other factors, to fuel Alzheimer’s brain changes, Sexton said.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it’s thought that as amyloid increases in the brain, it hits a tipping point that triggers abnormal tau to spread throughout the brain. And that’s when memory and thinking skills head downhill.

Gefen agreed that it’s probably a complex mix of factors — nature and nurture — that allows super agers to resist typical age-related declines in brain power.

It’s unlikely to be a magic something that can be turned into a pill, she said.

More broadly, Gefen said far more work is needed to understand tau tangles, including why they zero in on memory cells.
Suggested

That’s not to say tau has been completely ignored: Tau-targeting therapies for Alzheimer’s are under development, Sexton said.

For now, it seems clear that few people will become super agers. But, Sexton said, there are ways for everyone to support their brain health, including controlling heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes, getting regular exercise, eating healthfully and staying mentally and socially engaged.

The findings were published Feb. 17 in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more on super agers.

SOURCES: Tamar Gefen, PhD, assistant professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Claire Sexton, DPhil, director, scientific programs and initiatives, Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago; Cerebral Cortex, Feb. 17, 2021, online

(NAPSI)—With more than half of the state’s third graders having experienced tooth decay, the Tooth Fairy is canvassing the state—virtually—to help improve the dental health habits of her young friends, in hopes of a cavity-free Washington.

“Children who experience tooth decay are more likely to miss school, have lower academic success, experience nutritional and speech development issues… and over time, become more susceptible to systemic inflammation, which may limit growth and development. It can also result in an increased risk for lifelong dental problems,” explains Abbie Goudarzi, DDS, a licensed dentist and Delta Dental consultant. “It’s really unacceptable that more than half of our state’s third graders have tooth decay, a number that’s even higher in many rural and BIPOC communities.”

To help address the issue, the Tooth Fairy is making virtual appearances in classrooms and community-based youth organizations statewide as part of her interactive pediatric dental health education program, The Tooth Fairy Experience, designed to make dental health education fun for students in kindergarten through second grade.

The free 30-minute interactive presentations led by the Tooth Fairy are customized for each learning environment—including a storybook reading, fun teeth facts, proper brushing techniques, tooth science experiment, dental health hand puppets and a sugar demonstration. It’s all aimed to improve dental health behaviors of kids as they enter their cavity-prone years, and to spur regular dental exams—which were down 17 percent statewide last year for 5-10-year-olds, claims data from the state’s largest dental benefits provider reveal.

According to Delta Dental’s National Children’s Oral Health Survey, 30 percent of U.S. parents reported that their children (between the ages of 6 and 12) missed school in the previous year due to an oral health problem (as opposed to a regularly scheduled dental appointment).

Children’s dental care may not seem like a top priority considering kids lose their first set of teeth, but baby teeth are very important. Cavities early in a child’s life can have long-term effects which linger far past the loss of baby teeth—it’s why the program’s website (www.TheToothFairyExperience.com) also offers helpful resources and tips for parents, including early signs of cavities:

• Pain around the tooth and gums when eating or brushing
• A new or increased sensitivity to hot or cold food and drinks
• Aversion to hard or crunchy foods
• Consistent bad breath
• Visible white spots on the teeth
• Holes or discoloration (cavities in their early stages will often appear as white spots, then become a light brown color as they progress. More serious cavities may turn a dark brown or even black)

Delta Dental reminds parents and caregivers that good dental health habits are important throughout a child’s life and are particularly impactful during the formative years—and to educate themselves and their children on the importance of dental health, noting that “the Tooth Fairy will thank you!”

The Tooth Fairy Experience was developed by Delta Dental of Washington in partnership with Arcora Foundation and School Nurse Organization of Washington.

For free downloadable materials and information on scheduling a virtual Tooth Fairy Experience presentation, visit www.TheToothFairyExperience.com.

(NAPSI)—You may be able to bring some comfort to your friends and family members who have been grieving a loss in these difficult days.

Poetry And Emotion

There’s a new book that can help heal the hearts and minds of people who have lost jobs, opportunities, homes, even loved ones. Called “Words for the Unbearable: A Journey Through Loss” (IngramSpark), it was written by psychologist Enid Sanders, who has had her own losses to deal with.

When her first child, Keri, died, the young mother spilled out a series of poems and put them away in a drawer. Decades later, when her husband Andrew died, she took them out and started writing again. At first she wrote for herself, for Andrew and to Andrew. A poem would rise up out of nowhere and she’d jump up and scribble it down, not knowing how it would end until she wrote the last word.

Little by little, she shared the poems with friends and fellow therapists who pushed her to turn them into a book. The title comes from a friend who read the poems and said, “These are words for me, words for the unbearable.” Because it is poetry, the book reaches people at a deep level, helping therapists, patients, hospice workers, clergy, and anyone who grieves.

Yet the book is not really sad. It’s helpful, engaging and even rather funny in spots because it tells the truth about grieving without self-pity—including the fact that it can make everyone a little crazy.

Dr. Sanders also brings 34 years of experience as a noted clinical psychologist and bereavement counselor to writing this book. Having trained with internationally renowned child abuse expert Eliana Gil and specialized in helping abuse survivors for 18 years, she now focuses on helping clients negotiate grief and transition.

Doctor’s Opinions 

As Dr. Gil herself put it: “I am wiping tears so that I can write…I feel as though I’ve been seen and heard and understood. Each poem is a picture memory, a reminder, a suggestion, a loving gesture, words that attest to the author’s love. I thought only I loved so deeply and hurt so profoundly, but she’s captured and clarified grief so well, it was comforting to read her words, even though many hurt like hell…Enid Sanders’ words evoke strong feelings and encourage reflection, while providing the strange comfort that comes from being understood.”

Added psychiatrist Daniel Kostalnick, MD: “It is rare that an author can capture both the emotional and intellectual experience of grief, but Dr. Sanders has succeeded…Most of us find it impossible to express that experience, but Dr. Sanders uses her work as a psychologist—and a poet—to help the reader identify, name, and deal with the profound and universal aspects of grief…a work of compassion and understanding that comes from the soul of someone who has loved deeply.”

Many therapists recommend the book to grieving patients and it can inspire people to write their own poetry, or to paint or find another creative outlet for their feelings.

Learn More

For further facts or to order the book go to www.wordsfortheunbearable.com. It’s also available from Amazon and other booksellers.