September 17, 2025
Having a strong sense of purpose in life may help protect the ageing brain, according to a new report. The study found that people who reported a higher sense of purpose in their lives were about 28% less likely to develop memory and thinking problems as they aged compared to their peers who had little sense of purpose.%
Having a strong sense of purpose in life is regarded as a marker of psychological well-being. A sense of purpose in life – that believing what you do matters, and that you are doing good and on a meaningful path – has been shown in earlier studies to protect against heart disease, promote better overall health and prolong life.
For the current study, researchers at the University of California, Davis, followed over 13,000 men and women aged 45 and older for up to 15 years. All were free of Alzheimer’s disease or other serious memory problems at the start of the study period.
Participants were enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study, which follows 20,000 Americans to obtain a comprehensive picture of the ageing process across the population. They underwent regular cognitive tests to assess their memory and thinking skills, and also filled out questionnaires designed to assess whether they felt their lives had a strong sense of purpose.
Such surveys vary in length and are scientifically designed to assess an individual’s overall perceived sense of purpose, meaning and satisfaction in life. Participants are asked to rate, on a scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree, such statements as: “I feel that my life has meaning;” “I am an active person in carrying out the plans I set for myself;” “I have a sense of direction and purpose in my life;” “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them;” “When I look at the story of my life, I am pleased with how things have turned out so far;” and “For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth.” Psychologists tallied up the responses to arrive at an overall “purpose in life” score.
The researchers found that people who reported having a higher sense of purpose in life were less likely to develop memory and thinking problems as they aged, including a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The benefits were modest, equivalent to just one to two months less brain ageing over eight years, but statistically significant. A sense of purpose appeared to provide protective brain benefits even to those at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease, including those with a history of depression or who carried the APOE-E4 gene variant.
“Our findings show that having a sense of purpose helps the brain stay resilient with age,” said Aliza Wingo, the study’s senior author and a professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences. “Even for people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, a sense of purpose was linked to a later onset and lower likelihood of developing dementia.” The findings were published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Psychologists recognise various areas in life that may give people a strong sense of purpose. They include:
- Personal relationships, including caring for family members, spending time with friends or grandchildren, or supporting a spouse or friend.
- Work, including continuing to work in your senior years, mentoring others, volunteering or contributing to community causes.
- Spirituality or faith, including having religious beliefs or spiritual practices, or getting involved in faith-based communities or activities.
- Personal goals, such as pursuing hobbies, learning new skills or setting and achieving personal milestones.
- Helping others through acts of kindness, philanthropy, caregiving or advocacy work.
While developing a strong sense of purpose is no guarantee that you won’t get Alzheimer’s disease, it may help to protect the ageing brain. As researchers continue to search for new ways to treat Alzheimer’s and alter its course, any measure that may help the brain to become more resilient is a no-brainer.
“Purpose in life is free, safe and accessible,” said study author Nicholas C. Howard, a public health researcher at UC Davis. “It’s something people can build through relationships, goals and meaningful activities.”
By ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by Eric Schmidt, PhD, Fisher Centre for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Source: Nicholas C. Howard, M.S.P.H.; Ekaterina S. Gerasimov, PhD.; Thomas S. Wingo, M.D.; et al: “Life Purpose Lowers Risk for Cognitive Impairment in a United States Population-Based Cohort.” American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, October 2025