Four simple habits could de-age the brain by up to eight years, UF study finds

A University of Florida-led study finds that adopting four simple habits could make the brain appear up to eight years younger on MRI scans. The research tracked 128 adults in midlife and older age from four continents over two years. Nearly 70% were women, and many participants lived with chronic pain related to, or at risk of, knee osteoarthritis. Using advanced MRI scans and machine learning, researchers estimated each participant's brain age and compared it with their chronological age. Those reporting the healthiest mix of psychological and lifestyle factors had brains that looked up to eight years younger than expected.

The four habits identified were maintaining optimism, getting sufficient deep sleep, managing stress and fostering strong social support. In addition, avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight were linked to healthier brain aging. Hardships such as chronic pain, lower income, lower education and social disadvantage were associated with older-appearing brains. However, researchers noted that while the impact of hardship on brain aging weakened over time, the benefits of positive lifestyle factors were stronger and longer-lasting. “The message is consistent across our studies,” said Kimberly Sibille, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Florida, who led the research. “Health-promoting behaviours are not only associated with lower pain and better physical functioning. They appear to actually bolster health in an additive fashion at a meaningful level.” The findings were published in Brain Communications. The study adds to growing evidence that mental wellbeing and lifestyle choices play an important role in brain health, even in people dealing with chronic pain or long-term health conditions.

In a separate large analysis led by researchers at the University of Limerick, scientists examined data from more than half a million people across nearly six million person-years. The study looked at five major personality traits – neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness – and how they related to mortality risk. Participants with higher neuroticism had a three percent higher risk of dying earlier; higher conscientiousness was linked to a ten percent lower risk. Extraversion was associated with a three percent lower risk, an effect particularly strong in the United States and Australia. No clear link was found for openness or agreeableness. “Our work shows that how we think, feel and behave is not only linked to life satisfaction and social relationships, but also to how long we live,” said Dr Máire McGeehan, an assistant professor at the University of Limerick who led the study. Dr Páraic S Ó Súilleabháin, a senior author on the study, said the findings would help shape future research into how psychological traits influence health across the lifespan. The University of Limerick-led work was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, with collaboration from Florida State University, West Virginia University and Northwestern University.