Research finds wandering minds 'associated with ageing cells'

Research conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles has found a possible link between mind wandering and ageing.

By investigating a biological measure of longevity, researchers were able to show that those who reported more mind wandering had shorter telomeres, which is an emerging biomarker for cellular and general bodily ageing.

Elissa Epel, associate professor of psychiatry and lead author on the study, said: "Our attentional state - where our thoughts rest at any moment - turns out to be a fascinating window into our wellbeing."

She explained that the findings of the study are the first step and more research is going to be carried out at the facility to probe further into the link between ageing cells and wandering minds.

A study previously conducted by researchers who looked at medical records of 638 people from Scotland born in 1936 found older adults could delay the onset of dementia through regular exercise.

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