2021 Spring GAPNA Newsletter Volume 40 Number 1

Positive Mood in Older Adults Suggests Better Brain Function

Previous research has led to findings that support links between a positive mental outlook and physical health benefits such as lower blood pressure, less heart disease, and healthier blood sugar levels. In a recent study of mood changes in older adults, scientists also have discovered that healthy brain function may result in maintaining a positive outlook.

Scientists proposed a potential neurobiological connection between an older adult’s mood with changes, over a period of time, in white brain matter and cognitive ability. As we age, changes can occur in the white matter that may lead to thinking, walking, and balance problems.

Scientists first examined measures of executive function, the ability to perform complex tasks such as planning or decision-making that require attentional focus, and then imaged the white matter of the brain. They found the integrity of the white matter and stable executive function appear to be important for maintaining healthy mood states in late life.

The investigators found mood improved with increasing age until the early 70s, at which point the positive effect of age on mood plateaued, and eventually reversed. Stable white matter integrity, along with stable executive function and processing speed, appeared to protect against this reversal of positive mood. Results of such studies could inform interventions across a variety of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric conditions.

To learn more, see Cotter D.L. et al. (2020). Aging and positive mood: Longitudinal neurological and cognitive correlates. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(9), 946-0956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.05.002