People who are prone to pessimism are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.
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Tue 09 June 2020
According to a new study, persistent negative thinking is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s: Those who pondered and worried about the future suffered a greater decline in mental abilities within four years and had more brain deposits, as researchers in the specialist magazine ” Alzheimer’s & Dementia “report.
University College London researchers have observed that within four years people with repeated negative thinking patterns suffered more memory loss and were more likely to have amyloid and tau deposits in their brains typical of Alzheimer’s. Depression and anxiety were also associated with a decline in mental ability, but not with protein deposits in the brain.
Lowering the risk of dementia with mindfulness?
The psychiatrist Dr. Natalie Marchant said: “Depression and anxiety in middle and late age are already known to be risk factors for dementia. We have now found that certain thought patterns associated with these diseases may be the reason why people with these disorders are more likely to develop dementia. We believe that chronic negative thinking patterns can increase the risk of dementia over a long period of time. ” However, the doctor does not believe that short-term depression increases the risk of dementia.
The researchers believe that psychological instruments such as mindfulness exercises, targeted conversation therapy or meditation could reduce the risk of dementia: “We hope that our results will be used to develop strategies that reduce the risk of dementia by: help them reduce their negative thinking patterns, “said Marchant.
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