Important discovery: the pace of speech predicts how long a person has left to live

People who speak quickly and freely formulate their thoughts have a higher probability of living a long life. This conclusion was reached by researchers from the Association of Psychological Sciences at the University of Geneva, reports Liter.kz.

The research is based on data from the Berlin Aging Study (BASE), which observed 516 elderly people aged 70 to 105 over a period of 18 years.

Scientists evaluated four cognitive indicators:

• Verbal fluency - participants were asked to name as many animals as possible in 90 seconds;

• Perceptual speed - the ability to quickly process visual information;

• Verbal knowledge - vocabulary size;

• Episodic memory - the ability to remember personal events.

Using a complex statistical model, scientists analyzed how changes in these cognitive indicators affect the risk of death. Factors such as health, stress levels, socioeconomic status, and the presence of dementia symptoms were taken into account.

The results showed: only verbal fluency was statistically linked to life expectancy. In other words, participants who demonstrated high word selection speed lived longer. For example, an 84-year-old man able to name dozens of animals in a minute had better chances of a long life compared to a peer who had difficulties with this task.

According to scientists, successful completion of language tasks indicates the preservation of several cognitive systems at once - long-term and working memory, as well as information processing speed.

- Speech is not just a means of communication, but an important cognitive marker of health status. When an elderly person freely operates with words, it indicates a good level of memory, attention, and thinking. Maintaining language activity is a simple but effective way to extend intellectual longevity, - commented Professor Sagat Altynbekov, a narcologist, on the research results.

Source: liter.kz