Join Beth Mormino and Anthony Wagner, experts from Stanford's Aging and Memory Study, as they delve into the secrets of resilient aging. They share insights on how cognitive health can endure into old age, unraveling the complexities of Alzheimer's and the potential for early detection through innovative research. The discussion also touches on the impact of stereotypes on cognitive performance and how lifestyle choices, like social engagement, can enhance brain health. Their exciting research holds promise for healthier, longer lives.
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insights INSIGHT
Amyloid and Tau Prevalence in Aging
About 25-30% of cognitively normal 70-year-olds have amyloid consistent with Alzheimer's but no symptoms.
Focal tau is common in normal aging; widespread tau links better to cognitive decline.
insights INSIGHT
Limited Explaining Power of Amyloid and Tau
Alzheimer's protein levels explain only a small part of cognitive variability in healthy older adults cross-sectionally.
Longitudinally, proteins explain about 10% of variability, leaving much due to other unknown factors.
insights INSIGHT
Beyond Amyloid: Other Resilience Factors
Synaptic function proteins and brain structural changes explain cognitive changes beyond amyloid and tau.
Deep phenotyping in SAMS fosters discovery beyond known Alzheimer's pathways to uncover resilience factors.
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This week on the show, we're have our sights set on healthy aging. What would it mean to be able to live to 80, 90 or 100 with our cognitive abilities intact and able to maintain an independent lifestyle right to the end of our days?
We're joined by Beth Mormino and Anthony Wagner who lead the Stanford Aging and Memory Study, which recruits cognitively healthy older adults to understand what makes their brains particularly resilient — and how more of us could join them in living the dream of healthy aging.
Trelle, A. N., ... & Wagner, A. D. (2020). Hippocampal and cortical mechanisms at retrieval explain variability in episodic remembering in older adults. eLife, 9:e55335. doi: 10.7554/eLife.55335 PDF | PMID:32469308
Trelle, A. N., ...,Wagner, A. D., Mormino, E. C., & Wilson, E. N. (2025). Plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 is sensitive to early cerebral amyloid accumulation and predicts risk of cognitive decline across the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21:e14442. PDF | PMID:39713875
Sheng, J., ..., Mormino, E., & Wagner, A. D. (submitted). Top-down attention and Alzheimer's pathology impact cortical selectivity during learning, influencing episodic memory in older adults. Preprint
Episode Credits
This episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with sound design by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and supported in part by the Knight Iniative for Brain Resilience.
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