Smiling often reduces not only wrinkles but also risk of memory decline, says study

You may have heard how a number of elderly, who manage to somehow remain younger-looking than their peers, would say that one of their secrets is smiling often. This has remained true for years and new research has given you an additional reason to smile, as it states that having a positive outlook can help reduce the risk of mental decline.

A study, published in the journal Psychological Science titled, "Positive Affect Is Associated With Less Memory Decline: Evidence From a 9-Year Longitudinal Study" showed that people who are cheerful and who feel enthusiastic have a lower risk of experiencing memory decline later in life. This study further adds to the numerous available research on how positive disposition can play a role in ageing.

A group of researchers looked at data from 991 middle-aged and older U.S. adults. They participated in a national study, which was conducted at three time periods. The first period was between 1995 and 1996. The second one was in 2004 and 2006 and the third was in 2014.

In the three assessments, participants reported the positive emotions that they had felt in the past 30 days. In the final two assessments, the participants answered memory tests, wherein they were tasked to recall words immediately after they are presented. Fifteen minutes later, they were asked to recall again.

With this available data, the researchers looked at the association between memory decline and a positive affect. In their analysis, they also factored in education, age, gender, negative affect, and depression.

Claudia Haase, senior author and a Northwestern University associate professor, said that while memory indeed declines with age, those who are more cheerful had a lower risk of memory decline.

"Individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade," said Emily Hittner, lead author and a PhD graduate of Northwestern University. These findings could pave the way for addressing pathways that could link positive affect and memory. Two of the possible pathways that could be analysed include social relationships and the physical health of the individual.

Positive Affect Can Reduce Memory Decline