Ever ask why you’re here…you know, your purpose in life? It’s a question that could improve your memory and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s. Recent research found people who reported a purpose in life enjoyed better cognition and memory than their more aimless counterparts. What’s more, post-mortem autopsies showed their brains were nevertheless riddled with the signature plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s, although they had no symptoms of the disease.

Plaques and Tangles Not a Guarantee of Alzheimer’s

The study, which was published in the May 2012 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, suggests that having a purpose in life protects against the harmful effects of plaques and tangles on memory and cognition. For those wondering how to improve memory, engaging in meaningful and purposeful activity can promote good brain health as you age, even if your brain accumulates plaques and tangles.

Researchers studied 246 participants who did not have dementia for about 10 years before their death, evaluating them regularly with cognitive testing and neurological exams. The subjects also answered questions about their purpose in life, the meaning they derived from life experiences, and their focus and intention surrounding their purpose in life.

Although brain plaques and tangles are associated with memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s, not everyone with plaques and tangles falls victim to these brain disorders—a mystery to researchers. Autopsies show the brains of some whose memory and cognition were intact until death exhibited the same amount of Alzheimer’s-related plaques and tangles as those who had the disease. These individuals did, however, have larger neurons in the memory regions of their brain, which may serve a protective role.

Because studying ways to inhibit the development of plaques and tangles is difficult without brain specimens, researchers are instead turning their attention to preserving memory and cognition, despite the accumulation of plaques and tangles.

The Nun Study and How to Improve Memory—Keep a Positive Outlook

Those wondering how to improve memory may also want to consider the Nun Study, which showed that a positive outlook and creativity can also protect memory and prevent Alzheimer’s. The nuns in the study had been required to write an autobiographical essay in their early 20s as part of their vows. After their deaths some 60 years later, researchers analyzed the essays and found those who expressed more positivity and who packed their journals with more ideas not only lived up to 10 years longer, but also were less likely to get Alzheimer’s. Post-mortem autopsies also showed their brains had the same accumulation of plaques and tangles as the nuns who died of Alzheimer’s.

If you’re wondering how to improve memory,  these studies confirm how a positive outlook can significantly protect your brain’s health. Although some people are born naturally positive, most of us have to choose to be positive and consciously work at it every day. To help you cultivate a positive attitude, try using one of the following techniques:

• Take a daily walk with a close friend.
• Join a class to learn a new hobby that you’ve never tried before:  Knitting, painting, pottery, swimming, horseback riding, etc.
• Take time to volunteer with a local charity organization. Do something to help someone else from whom you will receive no tangible reward or payment.
• Incorporate prayer and reading into your daily routine (and limit time spent in front of the television).
• Choose those friends whom you spend the most time with to be the kind that are positive and enthusiastic themselves. Both optimism and pessimism are highly contagious so choose friends who also have a positive purpose in life.

For additional resources on improving memory and cognition, be sure to view our resources on the topic.