A lifetime of traumatic experiences may increase the likelihood of dementia and memory problems in older age while psychological resilience could help protect aspects of brain function, new research has found.
- Lifetime trauma was associated with a higher likelihood of mild cognitive impairment and dementia and poorer working memory and executive function.
- Recent life events were not associated with cognitive outcomes.
- Men and women can experience and respond to trauma differently.
The study of more than 1800 older Australians found that people who had experienced lifetime trauma were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and performed worse on working memory and executive function tests.
However, stressful events experienced in the previous six months were not associated with poorer cognitive outcomes.
Lead author Dr Yvonne Leung from ACU’s School of Behavioural and Health Sciences said the findings suggest the effects of traumatic experiences could extend well into later life.
“Traumatic experiences across a lifetime, not just recent stress, matter for cognitive health in older age,” Dr Leung said.
“Life’s hardest experiences can leave a lasting mark on the brain, but our findings suggest that psychological resilience may help and that men and women draw on it in different ways.”
Published in the Journal of Gerontology: Series B, the research found people with higher psychological resilience – the ability to withstand or recover from adversity – performed better on tests of executive function.
It also found associations between trauma, resilience and cognitive function were generally stronger in men than women.
Dr Leung said men and women can experience and respond to trauma differently, but few studies have explored whether resilience protects cognitive health after adversity or whether its effects differ by sex.
“Resilience is not fixed. It may grow over time through personal experience and social support, which makes it a promising target for supporting healthy cognitive ageing,” she said.
Further research was needed to examine whether traumatic experiences, including combat among veterans and domestic violence, have different effects on cognitive health.
“We need to understand which social and individual factors build resilience and whether strengthening it could protect the ageing brain, especially for people with a history of trauma,” Dr Leung said.
