Dr. Andrew Huberman

Here's what I don't like about the reality, but that we all need to accept, which is that the anterior midsingulate cortex is modifiable by experience, by leaning into challenges at any stage of life.

That's great.

We talked about that earlier.

Plasticity.

But lest we forget, plasticity goes in the other direction too.

it seems that when we don't engage in challenges that the anterior midsingulate cortex, it doesn't atrophy, but it undergoes sort of a downshift in activation.

Now, here's what's really, really interesting and relates to the previous question.

The anterior midsingulate cortex seems to be especially active at baseline activity.

and available for plasticity in what are called super-agers.

Super-agers, you know, we've all heard of blue zones.

The super-agers are these people who, they don't just exist in blue zones.

They're spread around the world.

These are people that seem, at least by cognitive measures and other physiological measures of the body, seem to age extremely slowly.

So they shouldn't really be called super-agers, right?

They should be called super-non-agers.

Anyway.

Okay.

the anterior mid cingulate cortex seems to be hyperactive in these super agers as they're called.

And so it seems that not only do they maintain cognitive function later in life, but that seems to be related to their regular engagement in challenging things.

So remember for so many years we heard, okay, like nuns don't get dementia.