Feelings of having no purpose in life or few opportunities for personal improvement among older adults may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a common precursor to dementia.
- Feelings of having no purpose in life or few opportunities for personal development among older adults may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment, a new study suggests.
- These aspects of psychological well-being decline significantly 2 to 6 years before diagnosis.
- The origin of this link is not yet determined.
Do you have a growing feeling that you have no purpose in life or few opportunities to improve yourself? This could be a sign of mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study published in the journal Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
Researchers have, in fact, discovered that these two elements of psychological well-being decrease significantly 2 to 6 years before the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Declining mental well-being: a sign of future cognitive decline
To better understand the link between psychological well-being and brain aging highlighted in several previous studies, the researchers followed 910 elderly people who were healthy at the start of the experiment for 14 years. They regularly underwent neurological and medical examinations, and cognitive tests. The volunteers also had an assessment of their psychological well-being, which measured self-acceptance, autonomy, the feeling of being able to manage one’s immediate environment, the establishment of meaningful connections with others, and personal development.
At the end of the study, 265 participants had MCI, 89 of whom developed dementia. The final analysis was based on 229 participants with complete data, 73 of whom had dementia. It found that people who developed MCI experienced a more rapid decline in psychological well-being than those who now had cognitive abilities. Specifically, they had lower levels of purpose in life and personal growth, respectively, 3 and 6 years before their diagnosis.
Well-being trajectories were similar for all volunteers with MCI, whether or not they subsequently developed dementia. Thus, for the researchers, their results show that a “reduced psychological well-being, even without apparent cognitive impairment, may be a predictor of later dementia.
Mental well-being and cognitive decline: a bidirectional link?
What are the mechanisms at play in this association between psychological well-being and cognitive functions? Researchers only have leads for the moment. “The two could be bidirectional: in other words, lower cognition could influence psychological well-being as well as the other way around. Greater well-being and better cognitive function may also share some protective factors.”they suggest in their press release.
“Our results indicate that personal growth and purpose in life may be more cognitively demanding than other components of well-being, and may therefore serve as more sensitive indicators of cognitive aging.”they write.
“In addition, we found that positive relationships with others declined rapidly after MCI diagnosis. People with impaired cognitive function may be less likely to engage in social and leisure activities than they used to. This can lead to even greater deterioration in their relationships with friends or others.”they add.
