Research shows that a lack of purpose and personal development can be an early sign of dementia

New Delhi, Aug 13, 2019 (PTI) Feeling that life has no meaning and little room for personal growth can be an early symptom of dementia, a study has found.

Researchers found a significant decline in mental health outcomes in adults three to six years before a person was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. It does not interfere with a person’s memory and thinking in daily activities.

Mild cognitive impairment often precedes dementia and symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Researchers from China Agricultural University’s Department of Nutrition and Health say there is a lot of evidence linking mental health to mental aging and dementia, but most of it focuses on a person’s sense of purpose. Personal growth is personal growth, not the growth of others.

In the study, published in the journal Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, researchers followed 910 elderly people in the United States for more than 10 years. Participants had a mean age of 80 years, had normal baseline cognitive abilities, and underwent annual examinations including tests of mental functioning and cognitive and mental health.

The researchers found that a third of the 910 subjects (265) had mild cognitive impairment. More than a third (89) of the 265 reported having dementia. “Individuals with mild cognitive impairment had poorer personality development 3 years before diagnosis and 6 years before diagnosis,” the researchers wrote.

More than 75% of the study participants were women, and women with mild cognitive impairment, old age, low weight, and poor mental health were cognitively underrepresented.

The authors state that as an observational study, no firm conclusions about cause and effect can be drawn.

The authors also add that although the mechanisms behind the relationship between happiness and cognitive function are unclear, causality may run in both directions. In other words, they show that cognitive impairment affects emotional well-being and vice versa. They suggest that well-being and cognitive function may share some protective factors.

“Our findings suggest that personal growth and purpose in life are more cognitively demanding than other aspects of well-being and thus may predict greater emotional aging,” the researchers wrote.

Reference

Author: MedBlog18 Blog Team

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