Thinking positively about getting old can reverse brain decline, study finds

The thought of getting older can fill some people with dread, while others look forward to their later years.

But those who truly believe that 60 is the new 40 — or even that 70 is the new 50 — may be better able to restore memory, a study suggests.

Researchers found that older people with mild cognitive impairment — a common form of memory loss — were 30 percent more likely to think normally and regain memory skills if they held positive beliefs about aging.

A cheerful approach to life also enabled people to recover their cognition up to two years earlier than others.

The study, conducted by the Yale School of Public Health, is the first to link a cultural factor — a positive attitude toward aging — and recovery from mild cognitive impairment.

Lead author Professor Becca Levy said: ‘Most people assume there is no recovery from mild cognitive impairment, but in fact half of those who have it recover.

‘Little is known about why some recover and others don’t. So we looked at positive age perceptions to see if they would help provide an answer.’

The team recruited 1,716 participants aged 65 and older.

They underwent a test to determine if they had mild cognitive impairment and also answered questions about their attitudes to aging.

For example, they were asked to what extent they agreed with the phrase, “The older I get, the more useless I feel,” and whether they are as happy now as they were when they were younger.

The results showed that those who suffered from mild cognitive impairment but held more positive beliefs about aging were almost a third more likely to regain normal cognition compared to those who held negative beliefs.

And participants who entered the study with normal cognition were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment over the next 12 years if they had good attitudes about aging.

Professor Levy said the study was published in JAMA Network Open magazinewas spurred on by an earlier discovery that older people felt that feeling positive about their age reduced stress caused by cognitive challenges, and felt more confident about their thinking and memory skills.

“Our previous research has shown that age beliefs can be modified – therefore, age belief interventions may increase the number of people who experience cognitive recovery,” she added.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, it is estimated that between five and 20 percent of people over the age of 65 have mild cognitive impairment.

A person with the condition may forget recent events or repeat the same question, have difficulty planning or solving problems, be easily distracted, or take longer than usual to find the right word for something.

The symptoms are not severe enough to significantly disrupt daily life, but people with the condition are more likely to develop dementia.