Researchers at the Danish Aging Research Centre (DARC) now have an opportunity to answer this question as the VELUX FOUNDATION has just awarded them a five-year grant of DKK 25 million to carry out research into cognitive abilities.

Associate Professor Tinna V. Stevnsner has a share of the major grant, and says: “The research carried out at the centre in future will specifically focus on the following questions. Are today’s large groups of baby boomers better able to retain their cognitive abilities than previous groups of elderly people or not? How important are education and cognition in early adult life as regards cognitive function later in life? Is the relationship between good cognitive function on the one hand and a good state of health in later life on the other determined by underlying genetic and familial factors?”

The project will also clarify whether or not it is possible to demonstrate distinct biological factors among elderly people with good cognitive functions. Are there, for example, environmental or genetic qualities among people who have well-maintained cognitive abilities very late in life? And is it possible to identify the molecular mechanisms? Do mitochondrial function in the cells and the stability of the genome constitute key factors in maintaining cognitive abilities among elderly individuals?

“Once we have answers to these questions, we expect to be able to provide greater insight into which factors can contribute to maintaining cognitive function among the elderly, and thereby contribute to the development of new therapeutic treatment measures for people at a particularly high risk of losing their cognitive function when they get old,” concludes Dr Stevnsner.