The largest observational study conducted on “superagers” ─ people in their 80’s and older who have brains as sharp as those decades younger — revealed several differences in lifestyle factors that may contribute to their razor-sharp minds.

The new study found that octogenarians with sharp memory retention also perform better on movement tests and have lower rates of anxiety and depression compared to older adults with cognitive decline, says Medical News Today.

According to CNN, Spanish researchers found that the superagers had more gray matter in parts of their brains related to movement, and they had higher marks on agility, balance and mobility tests than typical seniors, even though both groups engaged in the same amount of physical activity.

“Though superagers report similar activity levels to typical older people, it’s possible that they do more physically demanding activities such as gardening or stair climbing,” said senior author Bryan Strange, director of the Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience at the Technical University of Madrid. “From lower blood pressure and obesity levels to increased blood flow to the brain, there are many direct and indirect benefits of being physically active that may contribute to improved cognitive abilities in old age.”

The study was published in the Lancet Healthy Longevity journal. Researchers followed 64 superagers and 55 cognitively normal older adults who were part of a long-term research project on Alzheimer’s in Madrid, called the Vallecas Project, says CNN.

The Spanish superagers scored lower in tests measuring depression and anxiety than typical older adults and they told researchers they were more active in midlife, had quality sleep and were independent in their daily living. Mental health issues such as depression and poor sleep are risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia.

All participants in the study underwent brain scans, blood tests and other lifestyle and cognitive assessments when they entered the study, with annual follow-ups over four years.  Brain scans revealed that superagers had greater gray matter volume than typical older adults in areas of the brain responsible for cognitive functioning, spatial memory, and overall memory. Some of the most remarkable changes in gray matter volume were in areas of the brain associated with motor activity or movement as well as memory.

The researchers also found that the brains of superagers had many more von Economo neurons, a rare type of brain cell that may allow rapid communication across the brain. Only humans, great apes, elephants, whales, dolphins, and songbirds have this type of neuron.

“The story here is not simply that superagers are at a lower risk of dementia,” said Angela Roberts, a principal investigator of the Northwestern SuperAging Research Program, a clinical trial led at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who was not involved in the latest study. To be a SuperAger, a term coined by the Northwestern program, a person must be 80 and have extensive cognitive testing. People accepted into the study have memories as good or better than cognitively normal people in their 50s and 60’s and only 10% of people who apply qualify.

The Spanish research found they may also have other protective influences such as genetics or lifestyle factors. “This is a key reason to study superagers—as they may help us uncover protective mechanisms that act on known dementia risks to lessen or minimize the risk of age-related cognitive decline and brain changes,” Roberts said.