Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — an intermediate stage between age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's — are 30 percent more likely to recover normal cognitive function if they have a positive attitude about aging than those with a negative attitude, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.
To reach the above conclusion, experts at the Yale School of Public Health (USA) analyzed health data of 1,716 people over 65 years old, who had participated in the Health and Retirement Study before. All had normal cognition at the beginning of the study. After excluding the effects of age and physical health of the elderly, the research team found that after 12 years of follow-up, people with positive thoughts about aging were less likely to develop MCI than those with negative thoughts about aging. Not only that, the research team found that positive views about aging also helped participants recover normal cognitive function 2 years earlier than those with pessimistic views about aging. This cognitive recovery benefit was observed in optimistic participants regardless of the severity of their MCI condition.
Professor Becca Levy, lead author of the study, said that most people assume that cognitive function is not likely to recover in MCI, but in fact, half of people with the disease do recover. Based on the new findings, Professor Levy predicts that positive beliefs about aging may play an important role in cognitive recovery. Because her previous experimental studies on older adults have shown that positive beliefs about aging reduce mental stress, thereby increasing cognitive confidence and improving cognitive function in MCI patients.
DINH NHI (According to SciTechDaily)
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