A study presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting
in Miami Beach, FL in April, 2005 indicated that spirituality and
religious practices may help slow the regression of cognitive
abilities caused by Alzheimer's disease.
The study measured spirituality and religious practices among
68 subjects who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease using
the Duke University Religion index and a subscale of the
NIH/Fetzer multidimensional Measure of
Religiousness/Spirituality. Results indicated that patients with
higher levels of spirituality had a significantly slower
progression of cognitive decline. While spirituality has been
linked to better health outcomes for a variety of conditions,
this study specifically examined its impact on cognitive decline
seen in Alzheimer's. Though the religiosity factor accounted for
twenty percent of the total variance, according to study author
Yakir Kaufman, MD, clearly further studies are needed to better
understand the impact of religious beliefs and practices on
cognitive function.
For more information, visit the American Academy of Neurology web site.
