Scientists from University College London found that persistently engaging in negative thinking patterns may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
They found in people over 55, repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is linked to subsequent cognitive decline as well as the deposition of harmful brain proteins linked to Alzheimer’s.
The research is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia and was conducted by Dr. Natalie Marchant et al.
Depression and anxiety in mid-life and old age are already known to be risk factors for dementia.
In the study, the team found that certain thinking patterns implicated in depression and anxiety could be an underlying reason why people with those disorders are more likely to develop dementia.
They examined 292 people over the age of 55.
Over a period of two years, the participants answered questions about how they typically think about negative experiences, focusing on patterns like rumination about the past and worrying about the future.
The participants also completed measures of depression and anxiety symptoms.
The researchers found that people who exhibited higher repetitive negative thinking patterns experienced more cognitive decline over a four-year period, and declines in memory (which is among the earlier signs of Alzheimer’s disease), and they were more likely to have amyloid and tau deposits in their brain.
Depression and anxiety were associated with subsequent cognitive decline but not with either amyloid or tau deposition, suggesting that negative thinking could be the main reason why depression and anxiety contribute to Alzheimer’s disease risk.
The team proposes that repetitive negative thinking may be a new risk factor for dementia as it could contribute to dementia in a unique way.
They suggest that negative thinking may contribute to Alzheimer’s risk via its impact on indicators of stress such as high blood pressure, as other studies have found that physiological stress can contribute to amyloid and tau deposition.
They hope that the findings could be used to develop strategies to lower people’s risk of dementia by helping them to reduce their negative thinking patterns.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about how to stop dementia from the nose, and how to prevent cognitive decline.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about the three biggest risk factors for your dementia risk, and results showing this nutrient level in the body is linked to dementia risk.
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