A study has shown that having a pet can be beneficial for your brain’s long-term health.
An American study of adults over 50 years old found that cognitive memory tests.
People who owned a pet longer than five year scored higher than those who owned it for less time or who had never owned one. .
The researchers write, ‘In this study, we examined associations between sustained ownership of a pet and cognitive function among a national sample of U.S. adults’
Researchers conclude that there is an association between For verbal memory tests, such as remembering word lists or memorizing words, higher cognition scores are better.
Researchers believe that pet ownership can help protect against cognitive decline over the long term. Further research is needed.
The researchers write, “These findings provide early evidence to suggest that long-term pet ownership could be protective against cognitive disparities, providing a novel and fundamental step to examine how sustained relationships with companion animals may contribute to brain health among older adults.”
This study was open to all people who own rabbits, birds and reptiles as well as cats or dogs.
Researchers found that pet owners experienced cognitive decline delay of 1.2 points over a 6-year period.
Dr. Tiffany Braley, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan told CNN, “These findings provide early evidence to suggest that long-term pet ownership could be protective against cognitive decline.”
Braley suggests that the association between cognitive decline and pet ownership could be due to stress.
Braley says, “Prior research has also identified associations between interactions with companion animals and physiological measures of stress reduction, including reductions in cortisol levels and blood pressure, which in the long term could have an impact on cognitive health.”
Watch: The Golden Retriever swims across the lake to a floating restaurant to request food