How Purpose Impacts Your Brain

A study by the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago recently linked better cognitive performance with a purposeful life. Researchers found that people who reported feeling a strong sense of purpose in life experienced less cognitive decline, although the damage to the brain from Alzheimer’s disease was the same as people who had more cognitive decline and reported less of a sense of purpose.

Learn more about the study and find out how you and your loved ones can become more involved in the community.

Study Finds that Purpose Impacts Your Brain

A study from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center recently analyzed the brain tissue of 246 people who died during a long term study involving 1,400 seniors. The study, reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that people who showed similar levels of damage from Alzheimer’s in the brain actually exhibited different levels of cognitive decline.

After digging deeper, researchers found that those participants who reported having more purpose in life over the course of the study had better functioning brains. Researchers accounted for other factors including education and exercise levels.

The study defined ‘purpose’ as “the tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and possess a sense of intentionality and goal directedness that guides behavior.”

Other studies have linked a sense of purpose to not only slower cognitive decline but also to lower rates of disability and even death.

8 Ways for Seniors to Stay Engaged and Impact the Brain

Some may find it difficult to continue being active as they age. But, many seniors find that volunteer opportunities can help them stay active, engaged and have more of a sense of purpose in their lives.

Although it is important to take into consideration the stage and progression of Alzheimer’s and dementia during this time, here are 8 ways that seniors can stay engaged for brain health: