Do you think getting older means you’ll become more forgetful?
Well, just the belief itself could be enough to cause mental deterioration.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the United States found that older adults who have positive expectations about aging tend to report better cognitive function and are less concerned about declining abilities.
The study, published in the journal Aging and mental healthexamined 581 U.S. adults ages 65 to 90.
Participants were asked 12 questions to determine their views on physical health, mental health and cognitive function as they age.
They also measured current cognitive abilities using an eight-item scale that asked about recent thinking and memory performance.
The researchers then compared their current cognitive abilities to what they felt their cognitive function was like a decade ago.
The study excluded anyone with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University, US, found that older adults who have positive expectations about aging tend to report better cognitive function and fewer concerns about cognitive decline.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss.
The questionnaire revealed that those who expressed more positive opinions about physical and mental health, as well as cognitive function as they aged, were more likely to perform better on cognitive tests.
“Expectations influence an individual’s perceptions of their cognitive functioning,” said the study’s first author, Nikki Hill, an associate professor at Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, in a statement reported by Study findings.
Hill added that “modifying” our expectations about aging (in particular, how we believe aging will affect our brain) could result in “healthier cognitive aging.”
Researchers say this could involve educational programs that challenge negative stereotypes of aging, promote examples of successful aging, and provide accurate information about normal and concerning cognitive changes.
Around 944,000 people in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, while in the US the figure is around 7 million.
Alzheimer’s affects approximately six in 10 people with dementia.
It is believed to be caused by a buildup of proteins called amyloid and tau in the brain, which clump together and form plaques and tangles that make it difficult for the brain to function properly.
Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties, and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.
Analysis by Alzheimer’s Research UK found that 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared to 69,178 the previous year, a year-on-year increase of six per cent.