Have a purpose in life
If you’re looking for a way to keep dementia at bay, a new study suggests you can do so by developing a firm purpose in life. The study found people who had more purpose – as defined by the researchers – seemed to be less affected by the brain-clogging gunk considered to be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
If you’re looking for a way to keep dementia at bay, a new study suggests you can do so by developing a firm purpose in life.
The study found people who had more purpose – as defined by the researchers – seemed to be less affected by the brain-clogging gunk considered to be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Somehow, having a purpose allows people to cope with the physical signs of Alzheimer’s disease,” Patricia Boyle, an associate professor at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Centre at the Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago, said.
Researchers looked at tests given to 246 older people who later died and underwent autopsies that explored the state of their brains.
The researchers defined a purpose in life as “the tendency to find meaning from life experience, to be intentional and focused”.
“It’s an indicator of wellbeing, that life is good and you are contributing to your life, you’re making decisions,” Professor Boyle said.
To determine purpose in life, the researchers analysed answers from a 10-item psychological test.
Among those who had a lot of brain gunk – known as plaques and tangles – the ones who had greater purpose in life appeared to be less affected by a decline in their mental (or ‘cognitive’) powers.
According to Professor Boyle, the rate of cognitive decline was about 30% slower for someone with greater purpose in life, compared to someone with less purpose.
The researchers found they were able to link a higher sense of purpose to better brain health even when they adjusted their statistics so they would not be thrown off by high or low numbers of people with illness, signs of depression and other factors.
Similarly, people who have more education seem to be better able to tolerate brain-clogging plaques and tangles without having as many cognitive problems.
What is your purpose in life? Share your thoughts by commenting in the box below.
