My grandma is hands down one of the sweetest people I know. Anytime I call her, she gets so excited to tell me about her day and catch up. As a 90-year-old woman though, her conversations have started drifting toward slightly more negative topics as she rambles on about her health issues. Furthermore, as someone with Dementia, she tends to repeat these health complications on a constant basis.
While I try and lead her back toward more positive topics, I never knew there was a benefit to it aside from brightening her mood. However, studies have begun to show that having a positive outlook can do more than just boost someone’s mood, it’s shown to have increased memory abilities too!
Dementia and Alzheimer’s unfortunately don’t have a cure and the number of dementia patients is expected to triple by 2050, this would bring the number close to 140 million worldwide (Prince et al., 2013). Is it possible that having a positive outlook could reduce the risk of dementia?
A study described the “positive affect,” which is characterized as being enthusiastic and cheerful (Hittner et al., 2020). These positive affect individuals are shown to have improved memory as they age (Hittner et al., 2020). Over 900 individuals were studied over the course of 9 years and were evaluated at 3 different times (Hittner et al., 2020). One of the things they were evaluated for was how happy they had been over the last 30 days (what their positive affect was) and they were given a memory test that included recalling words (Hittner et al., 2020).
While it is known that memory declines as people age, this study showed that people with a higher positive affect experienced less memory decline as they aged (Hittner et al., 2020).
Another study theorized the positive affect’s impact on memory on a more biochemical level. These scientists theorized that the positive affect is likely affiliated with increased levels of dopamine (Ashby et al., 1999). Due to this, the scientists predict that the dopamine released can positively impact the cognitive perspective of individuals, in turn affecting their problem solving and improving their long-term memory formation (Ashby et al., 1999).
While there is still more research to be done in this area, more funds should be dedicated to this work. Alzheimer’s and dementia impact millions of people and are so taxing on the families of the affected individuals. As a society, we should focus on beneficence and work to improve the lives of the affected individuals, so people won’t have to see their loved ones suffer.
Ashby, F. G., Isen, A. M., & Turken, A. U. (1999). A neuropsychological theory of positive affect and
its influence on cognition. Psychological Review, 106(3), 529–550. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.106.3.529
Hittner, E. F., Stephens, J. E., Turiano, N. A., Gerstorf, D., Lachman, M. E., & Haase, C. M. (2020). Positive Affect Is Associated With Less Memory Decline: Evidence From a 9-Year Longitudinal Study. Psychological Science, 31(11), 1386–1395. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620953883
Alzheimer's Disease International. Policy Brief for Heads of
Government: The Global Impact of Dementia 2013‐2050. London: Alzheimer’s’ Disease
International; 2013.
Hello Allie!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. From the way you describe her, she seems to have made a significant impact on you in the best way. I'm glad that you can still bring so much happiness to each other despite the circumstances. The positive affect has not only been studied in terms of memory retention, but also as a means to reduce chronic pain. Research has shown that bad moods and negative emotional reactions can exaggerate pain (Hanssen et al., 2017). Evidence has been found supporting the notion that the positive affect counteracts pain intensity, duration, and sleep disturbances (Hanssen et al., 2017).
A pain task was given to an experimental group, and it was found that inducing the positive affect by showing pictures and videos led to less intense pain experiences than when a neutral or negative affect was induced (Hannsen et al., 2017). The primary reasons for this seem to be due to the positive emotions generated and an inverse relationship between nociceptive responses and cortisol production (Hannsen et al., 2017). Who knew that having a positive attitude could go such a long way!
Hanssen, M. M., Peters, M. L., Boselie, J. J., & Meulders, A. (2017). Can positive affect attenuate (persistent) pain? State of the art and clinical implications. Current rheumatology reports, 19(12), 80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-017-0703-3
Hi Allie!
ReplyDeleteI did my undergrauate capstone project on this subject but on children!! The power of optimism is truly a powerful thing. I think that it is amazing that you continue to look at the good and remind your grandma of those things. In fact, acording to a study done by Éadaoin Slattery optimism itself shows no direct benefits but rather it is indirectly affected through positive apprasial and social support (Slattery, 2017). Thus, you being supportive and positve with your grandma could have many benfits!
References:
Slattery, É, Mcmahon, J., & Gallagher, S. (2017). Optimism and benefit finding in parents of children with developmental disabilities: The role of positive reappraisal and social support. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 65, 12-22. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.04.006
A funny joke may help too! The power of laughter appears to be extremely beneficial in multiple aspects, including mental health (Yim et. al, 2016). Laughter can positively effect dopamine levels by increasing release and also inhibiting negative stressors that are known to decrease dopamine levels (Yim et al., 2016). I attached a joke below that I actually stole from my niece.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you call a sad strawberry???? ………….. a BLUE berry!!!
Thank you for sharing your story and my heart goes out to you and your family.
Yim J. Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2016 Jul;239(3):243-9. doi: 10.1620/tjem.239.243. PMID: 27439375.