New research has found that repetitive negative thinking later in life is linked to cognitive decline and greater deposits of two harmful proteins responsible for Alzheimer's disease.
"We propose that repetitive negative thinking may be a new risk factor for dementia," said lead author Dr. Natalie Marchant, psychiatrist and senior researcher in the Department of Mental Health at University College London, said in a statement. .
Negative thinking behaviors such as rumination about the past and worry about the future were measured in more than 350 people over the age of 55 over a two-year period. About a third of participants also underwent PET (positron emission tomography)brain scan to measure deposits of tau and beta-amyloid, two proteins that cause Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia.
Analyzes showed that people who spent more time thinking negatively had more build-up of tau and beta-amyloid, worse memory, and greater cognitive decline over a four-year period compared to people who didn't. weren't pessimistic.
The study also tested levels of anxiety and depression and found a greater cognitive decline in depressed and anxious people, which echoes previous research.
But tau and amyloid deposits have not increased in people who are already depressed and anxious, leading researchers to suspect that repeated negative thoughts may be the main reason why depression and anxiety contribute to Alzheimer's disease.
"Taken in parallel with other studies that link depression and anxiety to the risk of dementia, we expect that long-term chronic negative thinking patterns may increase the risk of dementia," said Marchant .
"This is the first study showing a biological relationship between repetitive negative thinking and Alzheimer's pathology, and gives doctors a more precise way to assess risk and offer more personalized interventions," said the neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, founder of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic. at NYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center, which did not participate in the study.
"Many people at risk are unaware of the specific negative impact of worry and rumination directly on the brain," said Isaacson, who is also a director of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, which funds research for better understand and mitigate cognitive decline related to age. .
"This study is important and will change the way I take care of my patients at risk."
More study needed
It is "important to stress that this does not mean that a short period of negative thinking will lead to Alzheimer's disease," said Fiona Carragher, director of policy and research at the Alzheimer Society of London. "We need further investigation to better understand this."
"Most of the people in the study were already identified as being at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease, so we would need to see if these results are passed on to the general population," she said, "and if repeated negative thoughts increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease itself. "
Researchers suggest that mental training practices such as meditation may help promote positive thinking while reducing negative thinking, and are planning future studies to testtheir hypothesis.
"Our thoughts can have a biological impact on our physical health, which can be positive or negative," explained co-author Dr. Gael Chételat of Inserm / University of Caen-Normandy.
"It is important to take care of your mental health, and this should be a major public health priority, as it is not only important for the health and well-being of people in the short term, but it could also have an impact. about your possible risk of dementia, "said Chételat. .
Look on the bright side
"Optimists also tend to have better coping skills and better problem solving skills," Rozanski told CNN in a previous interview. "They are better at what we call proactive adaptation, or anticipation of problems, and then take proactive measures to resolve them."
Train to be optimistic
You can tell where you stand on the concept of half full or empty glass by responding to a series of statements s called the "life orientation test."
The test includes statements such as "I believe in the idea that" every cloud has a silver lining ", and" if something can go wrong for me, it will. " You rate the statements on a scale from very agree to strongly disagree, and the results can be added together to determine your level of optimism or pessimism.
Another technique is to practice recognition. Taking a few minutes each day to write down what makes you thankful can improve your outlook on life. And while you're at it, list the positive experiences you had that day, which can also increase your optimism.
"And finally, we know that cognitive behavioral therapies are very effective treatments for depression; pessimism is on the way to depression," said Rozanski.
"You can apply the same principles as we do for depression, such as cropping. You teach that there is another way to think or reframe negative thoughts, and you can make great strides with a pessimist that way."
