Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) may be linked to later cognitive decline and increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to the increased deposition of harmful brain proteins linked to this condition, according to a new study in Alzheimer’s and dementia.
According to the researchers, repetitive negative thinking should be further studied as a potential risk factor for dementia. One could in particular compare it to certain psychological tools such as awareness or meditation.
“Depression and anxiety in middle age and old age are already known to be risk factors for dementia. Here we have discovered that some of the thought patterns involved in depression and anxiety may be one of the underlying reasons why people with these disorders are more likely to develop dementia, “says Natalie Marchant, researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at University College London who conducted the study.
According to the researcher, chronic negative thoughts over long periods of time can increase the risk of getting dementia. The researcher analyzed data from 292 people over the age of 55 in a cohort study. She also analyzed data from 68 other people in another cohort study.
The data were related to the responses that the participants themselves had given, over a two-year period, to questions relating to negative experiences, reflections on the past and concerns for the future.
Cognitive functions were then assessed by conventional measures of memory, attention level, spatial cognition and language.
113 of the participants had also undergone brain scans and measurements of tau and amyloid deposits, two key proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease when they accumulate in brain regions.
The researcher, with the help of his colleagues, discovered that people with more repetitive negative thought patterns then experienced greater cognitive decline, more memory loss, and a greater likelihood of amyloid buildup. and tau in the brain.
