Feeling as if you’re wandering aimlessly through life or like you’ve done all there is to do may carry harms more serious than unfulfilling days — it could be hurting your brain. People who developed mild cognitive impairment had lower levels of purpose in life and of personal growth starting three and six years, respectively, before their diagnosis, compared with participants who remained cognitively intact, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Mild cognitive impairment , in which a person goes through an early stage of loss of memory or other cognitive abilities but still maintains the ability to independently do most activities of daily living, is often a precursor to dementia.
The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App The study “is a strong test of the changes in psychological well-being that may occur during the earliest stages of the development of cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Angelina Sutin, professor of behavioural sciences and social medicine at the Florida State University College of Medicine, via email. Sutin wasn’t involved in the study.
More than 55 million people worldwide have dementia, which is a leading cause of death and is expected to affect nearly three times that many people by 2050. There is no cure for the disease, but the authors think the long period between when the disease biologically begins and when symptoms appear “may provide a criti.