If your kids have been hounding you to get a pet and you've just been on the fence about the decision, you may want to go ahead and bring that pup or kitten home.
A new study suggests that long-term pet ownership can actually be good for your brain, and can even help slow cognitive decline in older adults!
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, connected owning a pet for five or more years to delayed aging in the brain for adults around the age of 65.
Dr. Tiffany Braley of the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who authored the study, said in a press release via NBC DFW, "Prior studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress.
She also added that their results "suggest pet ownership may also be protective against cognitive decline."
The researchers found that over the six-year period of their study, cognitive scores decreased at a slower rate in pet owners than non-pet owners, with the difference in cognitive decline even stronger among long-term pet owners!
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