Study finds Strong Link Between State of Mind and Brain Health
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Having more positive experiences in life is associated with lower odds of developing brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease, slower cognitive decline with age, and even a longer life.
A study from Columbia researchers, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggested that the brain’s mitochondria may play a fundamental part.
Mitochondria supply energy to the brain, and the study showed that the molecular machinery used by mitochondria to transform energy is boosted in older adults who experienced less psychological stress during their lives compared with individuals who had more negative experiences.
In the study, researchers used data from two extensive studies involving nearly 450 older adults. Over two decades, these studies gathered detailed psychosocial information from the participants. After the participants passed away, their brains were donated for further analysis, providing data on the condition of their brain cells.
Researchers developed indices to convert participants’ reports of positive and negative psychosocial factors into a single overall psychosocial experience score. Additionally, each participant was scored on seven domains representing distinct genetic networks active in mitochondria.
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