The more extroverted a person is, the more likely they are to increase cognitive reserve.
Posted on 06.01.2024 at 16:00 Views 572 Posted on 06.01.2024 at 16:00 Modified 05.01.2024 16:31 Views 572
Nervous, unstable or angry people, as well as those with conscientious personalities, were found to be more likely to develop dementia. [사진= 게티이미지뱅크]Nervous and anxious people, even conscientiously good people? Some tendencies have been shown to have a higher risk of developing dementia. The risk of developing dementia varies depending on your personality, because your personality affects your cognitive reserve, which means your brain functions optimally.
“Yahoo Life” cited a study conducted by researchers at the University of California and reported that conscientious people are more likely to develop dementia. Studies have shown that people who are more neurotic or prone to feelings of anger, guilt or anxiety are also at greater risk of developing dementia. In contrast, people who were extroverted or had a positive outlook on life were less likely to develop dementia.
Researchers classified 44,000 people aged 49 to 81 based on five major personality traits, including conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience, neuroticism and agreeableness, and then compared and analyzed their risk of developing dementia .
The researchers explained: “It is related to the concept of cognitive reserve, a resilience built into the brain due to genetics, personality and various lifestyle factors, which results in improved disease resistance.” Extroverts are much more likely to engage in social activities known to help increase cognitive reserve, while neurotic people may be more prone to pushing people away and isolating themselves.
Cognitive reserve is the brain’s extra ability to improvise in response to age-related damage, meaning it can continue to function optimally for longer. How can we increase our cognitive reserve?
Memory peaks between the ages of 30 and 40. Studies show that after age 50, overall brain volume begins to decline, especially in areas associated with complex thinking and learning processes, which is why we have trouble remembering names or retrieving words as we age.
However, this decline is not inevitable. Joyce Schaeffer, a behavioral scientist at the University of Washington, said studies on some centenarians have shown that their brain function remains equivalent to that of an average person in their 50s and 60s.
There are several biological explanations for why some people appear to have greater cognitive reserve. Henne Holstege, an associate professor at UMC in Amsterdam, who is leading a study of more than 100 cognitively healthy Dutch centenarians, said that while age-related changes can be observed in the brains of study participants, they still have high levels of myelin and other proteins He said he is maintaining them. Myelin is a protective fatty coating, commonly called white matter, that forms around neurons.
Neuroscientists say that activities that cognitively stimulate the brain, such as continued intellectual and social engagement into old age, help preserve neural connections by keeping levels of these proteins high in the brain.
Cognitive reserve is likened to computer software that can be continuously updated throughout one’s life. This means that whether you are middle-aged or in your 80s or 90s, it is never too late to take steps to increase your cognitive reserve.
Journalist Park Joo-hyeon
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2024-01-06 06:31:14
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