Feeling that your life lacks purpose and that there are few opportunities for personal growth in older age may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, suggests research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry . These aspects of psychological wellbeing noticeably decline 2 to 6 years before MCI is diagnosed, even in the absence of evident signs, and irrespective of whether those affected go on to develop dementia, the findings indicate. Mounting evidence links psychological wellbeing to brain aging, including the development of dementia.
But much of the published research focuses on a sense of purpose, excluding the other aspects of wellbeing, explain the researchers. These include self-acceptance, autonomy, feeling capable of managing one's immediate environment, having meaningful connections with others, and personal growth. To strengthen the evidence base, the researchers explored changes over time in psychological wellbeing before and after diagnoses of MCI and dementia among 910 cognitively intact older adults (average age 79) participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project.
This Project is an ongoing long term study that began in 1997. It includes older adults from senior and subsidised housing, continuous care retirement communities, social service agencies, church groups, and individual homes in northeastern Illinois, USA. Study participants have annual check-ups that include neurol.