World's Oldest Woman Had Normal Brain

A 115-year-old woman who remained mentally alert throughout her life had an essentially normal brain, with little or no evidence of Alzheimer's disease, according to the Neurobiology of Aging.

The woman had lived independently until moving to a residential care home at age 105, mainly because of poor eyesight.

A series of neurological and psychological examinations were performed when the woman was 112 and 113 years old. The results were essentially normal, with no signs of dementia or problems with memory or attention. In general, her mental performance was above average for adults aged 60 to 75.

Her body was donated to science when she died at age 115. At the time, she was the world's oldest woman. Examination after death found almost no evidence of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries) anywhere in her body. The brain also showed very few abnormalities — the number of brain cells was similar to that expected in healthy people between 60 and 80 years old.

The findings question the assumption that Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia will inevitably develop, if people live long enough.