Possessing a remarkable memory later in life is linked to better mobility and physical quickness, according to a study that sheds light on the factors that shape how people age.

Superagers, people who are at least 80 years old and have the memories normally seen in those in their 50s or 60s, are more agile and mobile than their peers, according to a study published July 13 in the Lancet Healthy Longevity medical journal, and score better on tests for anxiety and depression.

Researchers have begun focusing on extremely healthy older people to unlock the secrets of disease- free aging. Differences in mobility and behavioral health might help explain the phenomenon, researchers write, though they could also be a result of extraordinarily well-preserved brain health that’s been shown by earlier research.

A team of European researchers studied a variety of mental, physical and emotional measures in 64 superagers and 55 typical older adults. Results from brain scans aligned with earlier findings that those of superagers appeared to have atrophied less than the brains of typical peers.

“It’s kind of reaffirming that there seems to be something biologically different at the level of brain structure,” said Emily Rogalski, an Alzheimer’s disease expert at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who wasn’t involved in the study.

New directions

Superagers are relatively rare, and current research hasn’t pinpointed reasons for their good health, said Rogalski, who has conducted her own research on the subject. Genetic factors could play a role, along with behavioral differences that have appeared in earlier studies. Some research has found that superagers tend to remain engaged in their careers or communities, for example, and that they have stronger social relationships.

Superior agility found in superagers — measured by movement speed and finger tapping — could either indirectly help preserve cognition, or it could be the result of a healthier brain, the authors said. Similarly, anxiety and depression are both risk factors for and symptoms of dementia.

Yet the differences could point researchers in new directions as they study how aging works, said Bryan Strange, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid and senior author of the study.

“There is some link there between memory and movement that we want to explore further,” he said.

The researchers also pointed out one notable difference in superagers’ pasts: They were more likely to have experience playing music. That’s consistent with findings that learning all kinds of new skills boosts brain function.

The brain “really thrives on this idea of new learning,” Rogalski said.