Research Shows Negative Thinking Is Linked To Dementia Later In Life

There are more reasons now to entertain only positive thoughts. Researchers revealed negative thinkers or those who always see the glass half-empty, may be more prone to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The results of their study showed negative thinking in later life is a significant factor in the accumulation of two destructive proteins believed to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

A New Risk Factor For Dementia

Negative thinking habits like constantly reflecting on the past and worrying about the future may likely cause cognitive decline and eventually lead to Dementia. This was the conclusion arrived at by researchers of a study entitled “Understanding Whether Negative Thinking Influences Dementia Risk,” which was published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia. “We propose that repetitive negative thinking may be a new risk factor for dementia,” Dr. Natalie Marchant, a psychiatrist and the lead author of the study, said in a statement. She is also a senior research fellow in the department of mental health at University College London.

In a two-year study involving more than 350 people aged 55 and above, researchers observed how negative thoughts could affect mental health. Around 30% of the volunteers underwent a positron emission tomography or PET brain scan to measure tau and beta-amyloid deposits. These are the two proteins that play major roles in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of Dementia.

Revealed By PET Brain Scan

People who spent more time harboring negative thoughts were found to have more tau and beta-amyloid deposits, according to the results of their PET brain scan. They also displayed poor memory and greater cognitive decline over four years when compared to those who were positive thinkers or were not pessimists.

The study also measured the participants’ anxiety and depression levels. Results showed people who were anxious and depressed suffer far greater cognitive decline compared to cheerful individuals, echoing past researches. Researchers also observed that tau and amyloid deposits did not increase in already anxious and depressed volunteers. This led them to suspect that repeated negative thinking may be a major reason why anxiety and depression contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s And Negative Thinking

Dr. Marchant said that taking into consideration the results of other studies that linked anxiety and depression to Dementia, it is their belief that chronic negative thinking patterns could increase dementia risk over time. She added that this is the first study showing a biological relationship between Alzheimer’s pathology and repetitive negative thinking. The results of their research can arm physicians with an accurate way to assess dementia risk and provide a more personally-tailored treatment.