Life experiences have powerful effects on perspectives, values and decisions in individuals. Now, researchers are looking at the impact of life experiences – both good and bad – on the ageing brain.
In a study of 745 middle-to-older aged adults, Dr Sabrina Sghirripa, from Adelaide University’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, explored the effect of traumatic events on cognitive function. ‘When we talk about healthy cognitive ageing, it’s often about what people can do to age well, like staying active and social,’ Dr Sghirripa said.
‘But lives are made up of both good and difficult experiences, and we need to understand how they interact.’
Survey participants between the age of 50 and 86 completed several assessments to measure their traumatic event exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and cognitive performance. The findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
‘About 87 per cent of our participants reported at least one-direct traumatic experience,’ Dr Sghirripa said. ‘Given about 70 to 90 per cent of individuals will experience at least one potentially traumatic event during their lifetime, trauma exposure should be considered a near-universal factor in cognitive ageing.
‘However, not everyone who experiences trauma develops cognitive deficits in later life, suggesting protective factors, including cognitive reserve, may promote resilience.’
Adaptability
Cognitive reserve is defined as adaptability that helps explain individual differences in how cognitive abilities are affected by brain ageing and is thought to be built throughout life by enriching experiences such as education and leisure activities.
‘Previous research has shown cognitive reserve can provide a buffer against cognitive deficits associated with brain ageing and disease,’ Dr Sghirripa said.
‘But until now, it has been unclear about how cognitive reserve is related to trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and cognition. We found those with higher cognitive reserve were less likely to impacted by post-traumatic stress symptoms and maintain better cognition in the face of exposure to traumatic events.
‘These findings suggest cognitive reserve may offer a buffer of sorts, so while people may be impacted by traumatic events, developing cognitive reserve via enriching life experiences could reduce overall cognitive and psychological impacts.’
Highs and lows both shape how the brain ages
Dr Sghirripa said interventions like leisure activities and social engagement could benefit older members of the community in building cognitive reserve.
‘Activities that add positively to your life might not only improve overall cognition, but also reduce the psychological impacts of trauma,’ she said.
‘It’s useful to know, for people who have had many adverse life experiences, that this doesn’t have to mean poorer wellbeing as we age.
‘Staying socially connected and engaged in meaningful activities may help protect cognitive and mental health in later life.’
