According to new Franco-Anglo-Canadian research, certain characteristics of anxiety or depression, such as constantly brooding over dark ideas, can promote the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in people aged 55 and over. more.
Grinding too often may increase the risk of developing cognitive decline and more specifically Alzheimer’s disease. These are the conclusions of research published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Carried out by researchers from the University of Caen-Normandy (France), University College London (England) and McGill University (Canada), the study analyzed the risk factors for dementia in 292 patients over the age of 55.
Followed for two years, the participants answered questions aimed at informing researchers about their propensity to focus on negative emotions (rumination of the past, concern for the future), as well as to measure their level of anxiety and of depression.
Participants’ cognitive abilities were also assessed, including memory, attention, spatial cognition and language. Some of those followed (113) have undergone PET brain scans, examinations used to measure deposits of Tau and amyloid, two proteins responsible for Alzheimer’s disease when they accumulate in the brain.
Study results suggest that depression and anxiety were associated with later cognitive decline but not deposition of amyloid or Tau, suggesting that repeated negative thinking patterns could be the result. main reason why depression and anxiety contribute to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Depression and anxiety in mid-life and in old age are already known to be risk factors for dementia. Here, we found that some thought patterns involved in depression and anxiety could be a reason under -continent for which people with these disorders are more likely to develop dementia “, observes Natalie Marchant, doctor of psychiatry at University College London and principal author of the research.
“Our thoughts can have a biological impact on our physical health, which can be positive or negative. Mental training practices such as meditation can help promote mental patterns associated with positive aspects while downregulating the aspects negative “, underlines Dr Gael Chételat, researcher at the University of Caen-Normandy and Inserm, who participated in the study.
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