Rush University Medical Center, among the top-ranked medical institutions in the nation, recently conducted a study that concluded a purpose-driven life may improve the health of an aging brain.

U.S. Census figures say the largest and fastest growing segments of older U.S. adults are Latino. And yet, according to UC Davis' Latino Aging Research Resource Center, Latinos "suffer disparities in risk factors for cognitive decline, disease burden, caregiver distress, and access to good quality services and healthcare for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias."

Rush University's research communicated that an elderly person who has a determined sense of purpose can likely discount the development of mental degradation, such as dementia, movement problems and death.

According to the report, activities such as taking courses, volunteering and being an active community member reduces the development of brain damage caused by blockages in blood flow as one ages. Potential blockage could interrupt blood flow in a brain vessel, resulting in a stroke or brain tissue damage. Infarcts, the term for damaged tissue, may contribute to disability, dementia and movement complications.

"Mental health, in particular positive psychological factors such as having a purpose in life, are emerging as very potent determinants of health outcomes," Patricia Boyle. Ph.D., study co-author and associate professor of behavioral sciences at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said, according to the American Heart Association's journal, Stroke. "Clinicians need to be aware of patients' mental state and encourage behaviors that will increase purpose and other positive emotional states."

The study's researchers analyzed the autopsy results on 453 people, generally 84 years old, who volunteered for the Rush Memory and Aging Project. These elder volunteers underwent annual psychological and physical evaluations until they died, at an average age of 90. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had dementia.

Each participant agreed to donate their organs upon their deaths. When those bodies were examined postmortem, the researchers found that 114 had clinically diagnosed strokes. More than 200 had infarcts that were visible to the naked eye and nearly half of all participants had infarcts that were visible when examining tissue under a microscope.

Vascular disease factors (blood pressure, physical activity, blood pressure, depression and diabetes) did not affect purpose in life or infracts. However, individuals who reported possessing stronger purpose in their lives were 44 percent less likely to have infarcts that were visible to the naked eye; although, there was no significant relationship between life purpose and microscopic infarcts. The most significant findings related to purpose in life was how it impacted the small infarcts in the blood vessels supplying deep brain structures. Conclusively, the relationship between a purposeful life and infarcts wasn't impacted by clinically diagnosed stroke or Alzheimer's disease.

"Purpose in life differs for everyone and it is important to be thoughtful about what motivates you, (such as volunteering, learning new things, or being part of the community) so you can engage in rewarding behaviors," Lei Yu, Ph.D., study lead author and assistant professor of neurological sciences at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, said, according to a press release.

According to the study, which was supported by the National Institute on Aging; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and Illinois Department of Public Health, purpose in life didn't among participants through the course of the study, suggesting the improved purpose could've boosted outcomes.

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