Does losing your sense of purpose signal the onset of cognitive decline?

A recent study in JAMA Network Open explores how an individual’s sense of purpose in life changes before and after the onset of cognitive impairment, using data from two large, longitudinal studies. The research finds that while there are modest declines in purpose before cognitive decline, these reductions become significantly greater after cognitive impairment sets in, suggesting that maintaining a sense of purpose could be crucial for cognitive health.