Dr. Dolcos stated:
"Previous studies have provided evidence that healthy older
individuals have a positivity bias--they can actually manage how much
attention they give to negative situations so they're less upset by
them. Dr. Dolcos is a member of the Alberta Cognitive Neuroscience
Group which helps to coordinate researchers from the University of
Alberta to explore the functioning of the brain and the human thought
processes including perception, learning, attention, language, memory,
decision-making, emotion and development. He went on to state "We
didn't understand how the brain worked to give seniors this sense of
perspective until now."
Both younger and
older participants were asked during the study to rate the emotional
content of various images as positive, negative, or neutral, while the
activity of their brain was monitored with a functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) machine. The fMRI is a high-tech device that
uses a large magnet to take pictures inside the brain. Images were
rated as less negative by the older participants when compared to
younger participants. The fMRI scans helped researchers to observe
these reactions among the senior participants in the study. Certain
areas of the brain such as the amygdala, a brain region involved in
emotions and the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain
involved in emotional control were scanned and showed increased
interactions. Dr. Dolcos stated "These findings indicate that
emotional control improves with aging, and that it's the increased
interaction between these two brain regions that allows healthy
seniors to control their emotional response so that they are less
affected by upsetting situations."
The study was
published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, and was performed in
collaboration with Ms. Peggy St. Jacques and under the coordination of
Dr. Roberto Cabeza, both of Duke University.
Dr. Dolcos then
concluded that this research may have clinical implications. He said
"If we can better understand how the brain works to create a
positivity bias in older people, then we can apply this knowledge to
better understand and treat mental health issues with the negativity
bias, such as depression and anxiety disorders, in which patients have
difficulty coping with emotionally challenging situations."
Wisdom
comes with age, at least when it comes to your emotions, according to
a University of Alberta researcher. In a June 16, 2006 article
at ScienceDaily, a collaborative study was conducted between
researchers from the University of Alberta and Duke University which
has proven that when it comes to your emotions, wisdom really does
come with age.