A team at Rush University Medical Center says greater purpose in life actually helps stave off the harmful changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, the 'Archives of General Psychiatry' reported.
Team leader Patricia A Boyle said: "Our study showed that people who reported greater purpose in life exhibited better cognition than those with less purpose in life even as plaques and tangles accumulated in their brains.
"These findings suggest that purpose in life protects against the harmful effects of plaques and tangles on memory and other thinking abilities. This is encouraging and suggests that engaging in meaningful and purposeful activities promotes cognitive health in old age."
The scientists have based their findings on an analysis of 246 participants without dementia and who subsequently died and underwent brain autopsy. Participants received an annual clinical evaluation for up to approximately 10 years, which included detailed cognitive testing and neurological exams.
The participants also answered questions about purpose in life, the degree to which one derives meaning from life's experiences and is focused and intentional. The scientists then examined whether purpose in life slowed rate of cognitive decline even as older persons accumulated plaques and tangles. (MORE)