After taking an IQ test, some senior citizens may find that they have the brains of much younger people. The results they receive are no fluke, however. It is possible they are part of a small group, which researchers from Northwestern University refer to as SuperAgers.

In a recent study, the results of which appear in the "Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society," researchers identified a group of elderly individuals who, despite being at least 80 years old, have the brains of people 20 to 30 years younger. In some cases, these SuperAgers’ cortexes were much thicker than those of non-SuperAgers.

With a thicker cortex, these individuals benefit from possessing the type of memory much younger people enjoy. Of the older adults who participated in the study, 10 percent met the criteria for being a SuperAger.

"Many scientists study what's wrong with the brain, but maybe we can ultimately help Alzheimer's patients by figuring out what goes right in the brain of SuperAgers," said Emily Rogalski of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.