Thinking positively about getting old can reverse brain decline, study finds 

The thought of getting older can fill some people with dread, while others look forward to their later years.

But those who truly believe 60 is the new 40 – or even that 70 is the new 50 – might be better able to recover memory, a study suggests.

Researchers have found older people with mild cognitive impairment – a common type of memory loss – were 30 percent more likely to regain normal thinking and memory skills if they had positive beliefs about aging.

A cheerful approach to life also allowed people to recover their cognition up to two years earlier than others.

The study, carried out by the Yale School of Public Health, is the first to link a cultural factor – a positive attitude towards aging – to mild cognitive impairment recovery.

Lead author Professor Becca Levy said: ‘Most people assume there is no recovery from mild cognitive impairment, but in fact half of those who have it do recover.

‘Little is known about why some recover while others don’t. That’s why we looked at positive age beliefs, to see if they would help provide an answer.’

The team recruited 1,716 participants aged 65 and over. 

They underwent a test to determine whether they had mild cognitive impairment, and also answered questions regarding their attitude towards aging.

For example, they were asked how much they agreed with the phrase: ‘The older I get, the more useless I feel’, and whether they are as happy now as they were when they were younger.

Results revealed those who suffered from mild cognitive impairment but had more positive beliefs about aging were nearly a third more likely to regain normal cognition compared to those who had negative beliefs.

And participants who started the study with normal cognition were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment over the next 12 years if they had a good attitude towards getting older.

Professor Levy said the study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, was spurred by a previous discovery that older people found feeling positive about their aged reduced the stress causes by cognitive challenges, and had increased self-confidence about their thinking and memory skills.

‘Our previous research has demonstrated that age beliefs can be modified – therefore, age-belief interventions could increase the number of people who experience cognitive recovery,’ she added.

It is estimated that between five and 20 percent of people aged over 65 have mild cognitive impairment, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

A person suffering from the condition may forget recent events or repeat the same question, struggle with planning or problem-solving, be easily distracted or take longer than usual to find the right word for something.

The symptoms are not severe enough to interfere significantly with daily life, but people with the condition are more likely to go on to develop dementia.