Their brain age of these subjects, mostly octogenarians and novogenerians, defied the expectations of the degenerative processes that often happen to the brains of people who reach their biological age. Superagers experience little to no cortical thinning, giving them cortical volumes similar to those of much younger brains. The cingulate gyrus also processes memory, along with emotion, self-regulation and pain. Their brains also show fewer signs that often indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s, such as less plaque buildup. There is also a greater density of von Economo neurons, which speed up information processing, in their brains.