Ageing

Are strengths of the mind good for the body?

Published: September 25, 2009

At the World Congress on Psychosomatic Medicine in Torino, Italy, Carol Ryff, Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, has described how more than simply feeling happy, it is the personal approach to psychological well-being that matters.

Increasingly, researchers attend to both positive and negative aspects of mental health. Such distinctions call for clarification of whether psychological well-being and ill-being comprise opposite ends of a bipolar continuum, or are best construed as separate, independent dimensions of mental health. Biology can help resolve this query – bipolarity predicts ‘mirrored’ biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being correlate similarly with biomarkers, but show opposite directional signs), whereas independence predicts ‘distinct’ biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being have different biological signatures). Multiple aspects of psychological well-being (eudaimonic, hedonic) and ill-being (depression, anxiety, anger) were assessed in a sample of aging women (n = 135, mean age = 74) on whom diverse neuroendocrine (salivary cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, DHEA-S) and cardiovascular factors (weight, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, total/HDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin) were also measured. Measures of psychological well-being and ill-being were significantly linked with numerous biomarkers, with some associations being more strongly evident for respondents aged 75+. Outcomes for seven biomarkers supported the distinct hypothesis, while findings for only two biomarkers supported the mirrored hypothesis. This research adds to the growing literature on how psychological well-being and mental maladjustment are instantiated in biology. Population-based inquiries and challenge studies constitute important future directions.

Prof. Carol Ryff also illustrated the findings of an Italian group headed by Professor Fava to point to the fact that psychological well-being can be learned and that increasing psychological well-being may improve long-term outcome of depression.
Source: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics: Carol D. Ryff, Gayle Dienberg Love, Heather L. Urry, Daniel Muller, Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Elliot M. Friedman, Richard J. Davidson, Burton Singer. Psychological Well-Being and Ill-Being: Do They Have Distinct or Mirrored Biological Correlates? Psychother Psychosom 2006;75:85-95

Experiencing life, briefly, inside a nursing home

Published: August 24, 2009

The New York Times features an excellent novel program in which medical students act as patients, geriatric specialists hope this will spark interest in their field, which is underrepresented in medicine.

Students are given a “diagnosis” of an ailment and expected to live as someone with the condition does. They keep a daily journal chronicling their experiences and, in most cases, debunking their preconceived notions.

The program started in 2005 after a student approached Dr. Marilyn Gugliucci, the director of geriatrics education at the medical school. “ ‘Dr. G,’ ” she recalled the student saying, “ ‘I would like to learn how to speak with institutionalized elders.’ What came out of my mouth was, ‘Will you live in a nursing home for two weeks?’ ”link to article

Source: The New York Times

Faces hold clue to mental health

Published: August 14, 2009
Average face of 50 men from the sample with the 15 landmarks used for symmetry measurements.

Average face of 50 men from the sample with the 15 landmarks used for symmetry measurements.

The more symmetrical a man’s face the more likely he is to remain mentally alert in later life, a study suggests.
Psychologists at the University have found that men with higher levels of facial symmetry are less likely to experience a slow down of brain power between the ages of 79 and 83 years.
Using results from the Scottish Mental Survey undertaken in 1932, researchers measured the facial symmetry of a sample of men and women. [continue reading…]

Do you want to live forever?

Published: July 15, 2009

I recently “Clipped” ( The Clipmark Widget is located in the sidebar) Do you really want to live forever this brought in an interesting comment from Lexica

Definitely food for thought. When I first came across it, my reaction was “what a horrible idea – aging and death are part of the natural cycle.” However, if one defines “aging” as “cumulative damage”, as Aubrey de Grey does, it raises the question: what benefit is gained from permitting damage to accumulate if it’s possible to avoid it? What if we could prevent the negative symptoms of aging so that people are vigorous and healthy all their lives? Lexica included a link to this Aubrey de Grey interesting TED Talk on  ageing.

Source: TED, hat tip to Lexica

Newer Posts Older Posts