Cognitive disorders are not always definitive. People with mild forms can recover normal cognitive function, but scientists can’t pinpoint how. In a new study published in JAMAresearchers at Yale University show that the way we perceive aging might play a role: people with a positive view of age are more likely to recover.
Age and positive thinking: what are mild cognitive disorders?
Mild cognitive impairment can manifest as problems with memory, language, reasoning, or judgment. “As the name suggests, the problems are mild — that is, they are not as severe as the problems experienced by someone with a neurocognitive disorder, says the canadian foundation Alzheimer Society. Alterations in cognitive abilities are often not severe enough to interfere with daily life or the person’s autonomy.”
These disorders increase the risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another cognitive problem, but sometimes they remain stable or even improve over the years. “Most people assume that there is no recovery from mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but in fact half of those who suffer from it recover, says Becca Levy, professor of public health and psychology and lead author of the study. Little is known regarding why some recover while others don’t..” With her team, she therefore became interested in positive beliefs regarding age to understand their potential influence on these disorders.
Aging: how positive beliefs can reverse cognitive decline?
For their work, the Yale researchers recruited 1,700 participants over the age of 65. “Elderly people in the group with positive beliefs regarding age, and who entered the study with normal cognition, were less likely to develop MCI over the next 12 years compared to those in the group with negative beliefs regarding age. age, regardless of their basic age and physical health”, find the researchers. For people with mild cognitive impairment at the start of the study, having a positive view of aging significantly improved the chances of recovery: they were 30% more likely to regain normal cognition, compared to people with a priori negative on age. The researchers explain that they also found that these positive beliefs allowed participants to recover their cognition up to two years earlier than those who had negative beliefs regarding age. “This benefit with respect to cognitive recovery was found regardless of the initial severity of the MCI.”they point out.
Cognitive decline: how to explain the impact of positive thoughts on aging?
According to the authors, this phenomenon might be explained in several ways: positive beliefs regarding age reduce the stress caused by cognitive challenges, increase self-confidence regarding cognition and improve cognitive performance. “Therefore, interventions on age-related beliefs, at individual and societal levels, might increase the number of people able to cognitively recover.concludes Becca Levy.