Purpose in life may promote cognitive resilience through default‐mode network connectivity in middle‐aged adults

Disease‐modifying agents to counteract cognitive impairment in aging remain elusive, and identifying modifiable factors promoting brain reserve is paramount. In AD, education, occupation, and physical activity represent typical reserve proxies (Stern et al. Alzheimers Dement.2020;16(9):1305‐1311), but psychological factors are increasingly being recognized, as their operating biological mechanisms are elucidated (i.e., Arenaza‐Urquijo et al. Neurology 2020;95:e1571). Purpose in life (PiL), one of the pillars of psychological well‐being, was found to reduce the deleterious effects of AD‐related pathological changes on cognition (Boyle et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012;69(5):499‐505). However, whether PiL operates as a cognitive resilience factor in middle‐aged individuals, as well as its associated neural mechanisms remains unknown.