Unhappiness may be "brain damaging" studies have found that long-term negative thinking is related to the risk of dementia

Turn from: new medical point of view < br / > This classic line is often referred to as "chicken soup", but in terms of physical and mental health, it may not be unreasonableAccording to a recent study published by Alzheimer's & dementia, a journal of the Alzheimer's Association, chronic "unhappiness" is also one of the potential risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, which is increasing with the aging process< br / > in this study, led by researchers at University College London, long-term negative thinking is closely related to subsequent cognitive decline and brain pathology in Alzheimer's diseaseAccording to the research team, this is "the first time that data support the principle that" long-term negative thinking is a risk factor for dementia "< br / > in recent decades, people have noticed many psychological risk factors related to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, such as depression and anxietyIt is hypothesized that the long-term negative thinking may also play a role in the occurrence and development of diseases< br / > to test this, the research team included 360 middle-aged and elderly peopleOver a two-year period, subjects answered a series of questions about how they usually view negative experiencesResearchers focused on their persistent negative thoughts, such as reflections on the past and worries about the futureIn addition, the subjects completed the assessment of depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as the assessment of cognitive ability (including memory, attention, spatial perception and language ability)113 of them also received brain PET scans to assess the deposition of tau protein and amyloid protein - abnormal deposition of these two proteins is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease< br / > the researchers observed that more people who showed persistent negative thinking had a more significant decline in cognitive ability, especially in short-term and long-term memory during the 4-year follow-up period, which is one of the early signs of Alzheimer's diseaseIn addition, tau protein and amyloid protein were deposited more in their brainsAt the same time, depression and anxiety were also associated with subsequent cognitive decline, but not with the deposition of tau protein or amyloid protein< br / > the team speculates that this suggests that depression and anxiety increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and that the underlying cause may be more long-term negative thinking< br / > Dr Natalie Marchant, psychiatry, University College London, co-author of the study, said: "in combination with other studies on the relationship between depression and anxiety and the risk of dementia, we suggest that long-term negative thinking be considered as a potential new risk factor for dementia, which may promote the occurrence of dementia in a unique wayBut we don't think there's evidence that short-term setbacks increase the risk of dementia " < br / > the research team believes that long-term negative thinking may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by affecting pressure related indicators such as blood pressure Other studies have found that physiological stress may also lead to the deposition of tau protein and amyloid protein < br / > next, the team plans to assess in a large trial whether interventions such as meditation can help reduce the risk of dementia by supporting mental health in the elderly < br / > Ms Fiona Carragher, director of research and impact, Alzheimer's society, UK, said, "understanding the factors that may increase the risk of dementia is essential to deepen disease awareness and develop prevention strategies The findings of this study are interesting, although further research is needed to better understand this Mental health may be an important means of prevention and treatment of dementia More research will reveal the extent of the impact of mental health " ▽